Batman: Rise of the Blackbat
by Boskov01
Summary: A Reimagining of Cassandra Cain's backstory and how she came to become Blackbat. Alternate Universe. Prequel to "Slender." Better Summary Inside.
1. Prologue

**Summary:** A Reimagining of Cassandra Cain's backstory and how she came to become Blackbat. Alternate Universe. Prequel to "Slender." Better Summary Inside.

 **Summary (The Better One):** A mere month after the events of the Killing Joke, Batman has forbidden Tim Drake and Dick Grayson from continuing their roles as Robin and Nightwing. But when the mute Cassandra Cain, driven by the murder of her parents assumes the mantle of Batgirl to hunt down her parents' murderer, it unveils a dangerous upheaval in the criminal underworld. But will Batman permit her to investigate or will he stop her for fear that she'll suffer the same fate as her predecessor? Alternate Universe. Prequel to my original Batman story: "Slender."

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing but a few OCs.

 **A/N:** I will admit, I've never read a single Batman comic in my life (except for the Killing Joke but that was research for this story) but I grew up with the 1990s animated series and I've been a lifelong Batman fan ever since. It wasn't until I stumbled upon the Batman wiki and played the Arkham games that I re-immersed myself into the world of the Batman. That's when I discovered Cassandra Cain, the initial successor to Barbara Gordon's title of Batgirl. The character design truly impressed me. The idea of a (initially) mute heroine was one I'd never thought of before and I was truly impressed by the idea. A character whose actions are her voice, as she has none. When I read that she eventually learned to speak, I found myself disagreeing with the direction they were taking her. So I decided to turn to the fanfiction community and create a reimagined version of Cassandra, a version where she will never have a voice as we do, but one where her actions will always be her voice. I felt that a different backstory was also called for with this new version of Cassandra so Cass won't be the reformed Assassin we all know her as (I took a page from the Joker on this one, "if you're gonna have a backstory, better to make it multiple choice"). I initially created this version of Cassandra for my first Batman story "Slender" but I wanted to expand on her origins in my universe, which gave rise to this story.

In terms of costume, I was pleased with the costume designs for Batman, Robin, and Nightwing in Arkham City (specifically Robin's. I thought the hood was a nice touch) so if you want to use those as a visual basis, by all means, as they're what I envision for their costumes. Cassandra's costume will change occasionally throughout the story so I'm not basing it off of any existing ones right now.

One extra note: We're ignoring the Killing Joke movie that was released recently. The Comic is canon but the extras where there's that romance between Batman/Bruce Wayne and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon is not.

That said, sit back, relax, and enjoy the story…

* * *

 **July 15th  
9:22 PM – 15 Years Ago  
Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital – Maternity Ward Waiting Room**

Hilton Cain paced back and forward and to say he was nervous was an understatement. The twenty-five-year-old, raven haired, accountant was expecting his first child and his wife, Regina, had gone into labor less than thirty minutes ago. As he continued pacing, paying no heed to the television as it aired the latest news on a strange man dressed as a bat carrying out a war on crime, a nurse stepped into the room.

"Mr. Hilton Cain?" the nurse asked as she read off a clipboard, snapping Cain from his trance. The nurse smiled at him as he approached.

"Congratulations sir, your wife just delivered." The nurse said as Hilton breathed a large sigh of relief and collapsed in a chair, a hand over his chest.

"Thank God." He said with a large smile before looking back up at the nurse.

"When can I see her?" Hilton asked, not noticing as a Doctor stepped into the room.

"In a minute, Mr. Cain, but first we need to talk…in private." The doctor said as Hilton looked up at him confused.

"Private? Is something wrong?" Hilton asked, standing up. He was confused and increasingly worried.

"Nothing life threatening but there is something…odd. Please I'd rather we speak in the private room." The Doctor said as he motioned towards an open door marked "Private Consultation."

"Why? There's no one else here but us. What's wrong Doctor? What happened to my wife? My child?" Hilton asked, now noticeably afraid. The Doctor quickly raised his hands in a calming motion.

"Your wife and your daughter are fine. Both are in good health. There's just something you should be aware of so you don't find out the hard way." The doctor said as Hilton sat back down, the doctor pulling around a rolling stool and sitting across from him.

"As I said, your family is in good health. But we had a moment when we were very much afraid for your daughter. When she was born, she didn't make a sound. She wasn't crying. But she was making all the motions that she was. Tears flowing, squirming around, eyes clinched shut, and air coming from her mouth…but no sound." The doctor explained, confusing poor Hilton even more.

"What are you saying doctor?" Hilton asked.

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I've ordered an X-ray and a few tests to be sure but I believe it is possible, that your daughter may be unable to use her voice…it's just as possible that she may not have one at all." The doctor explained, still confusing Hilton although he was beginning to understand the doctor's meaning.

"You mean…she doesn't have a voice?" Hilton asked.

"It's my hypothesis that your daughter may have failed to properly develop the larynx, the vocal chords. It's still too early to figure out the extent of what's happened. It looks like some form of dysphonia. Now from what I can see, it appears that she can breathe just fine. But for some reason it looks like her vocal folds don't vibrate like they should, in that they don't vibrate at all." The doctor said as Hilton leaned back in his chair, processing the information.

"Worst case scenario?" Hilton asked, the Doctor shrugging slightly.

"Far too early to tell. We'll know more once we've run the tests and gotten the results." The doctor said as Hilton nodded, a nurse approaching with a paper cup of water. Hilton nodded appreciatively and downed the water before standing up.

"Can I see them?" he asked, the Doctor smiling and rising from his chair.

"Of course. I just wanted you to go in and not be surprised by anything, that's all." The doctor said as he started to lead Hilton through the halls.

"You know something doctor. It's ironic, kind of. My wife is an opera singer and here we go having a daughter with no voice." Hilton said with a sad laugh, still smiling. The doctor gave Hilton a gentle pat on the back with a reassuring look.

"We'll do everything we can Mr. Cain." The doctor said as they stopped outside of a room. Hilton stepped inside to see his wife, a woman with beautiful auburn hair, cradling a bundle in her arms.

"Look at her, Hilton. Isn't she beautiful?" Regina asked as Hilton beheld the raven haired newborn in his wife's arms. He could see her mouth open and hear the sound of air escaping with brief pauses as she'd take a breath, but it was just as the doctor had described. She made no noises of her own.

"As gorgeous as her mother." Hilton said, gently stroking the infant's head. Regina then let out a weak but surprised gasp.

"Hilton, look!" She said, looking towards the window. Hilton turned and saw, lighting up the night sky, was an all too familiar sight in Gotham. The light of the Bat signal shining in the sky.

"Looks like a bad omen for the bad guys tonight, huh?" Regina asked with a light laugh and a tired smile. Hilton smiled but shook his head.

"You see it as a bad omen. But I've never seen it that way. I find it very comforting to see it on a night like this. It's a symbol, not of fear…" Hilton said as his daughter's tiny fingers grasped a hold of his index finger, barely large enough to entirely grasp it as Hilton finished…

"…but of hope."

* * *

 **November 10th  
6:44 PM – 7 Years Later  
Baker's View Apartment Complex – Apartment 221  
the Home of Mr. & Mrs. Hilton Cain**

Regina Cain calmly sat at the kitchen table of their small apartment, rapping her fingers worriedly as she watched the front door, occasionally checking her watch. Nearby, a seven-year-old girl with long raven hair sat on the couch reading a thick book. The book had no visible title but the girl read it with much interest. She looked up curiously for a second before setting the book down and hurrying to the door. She quickly undid the five locks and then sat down. Regina smiled at Cassandra who, while she couldn't speak, instead possessed excellent hearing. Less than five seconds had passed when the doorknob turned at least a second before the door opened as Hilton Cain, greying before his time, stepped in with a tired sigh, sweat stains near his collar, a battered briefcase in his hand.

"Hard day, honey?" Regina asked as she stood up, Hilton removing his overcoat, hanging it up by the door before quickly redoing the locks on the door.

"Very. I learned today that one of my clients is…well." Hilton said, licking his lips and swallowing nervously. His wife, knowing what he meant, swallowed hard.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"The numbers don't lie and I've checked them at least five times." Hilton said, the young Cassandra listening confused. She didn't understand her father's job and he had been acting nervous for some reason for the past couple of months but today was definitely the most nervous she'd seen him.

"Should we be worried?" Regina asked.

"I've already spoken to a Detective Paulings with GCPD. He's going to put me in touch with Commissioner Gordon tomorrow morning, but for tonight, we relax." Hilton said as he glanced at Cassandra who was occasionally glancing up from her book, looking curious but her body language showed she was also worried, even though she knew nothing of what was going on. He walked over towards her, sitting down next to her on the couch, glancing over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

"Reading Sherlock Holmes again, kiddo?" Hilton asked as Cassandra nodded, picking up a laminated print out of various words and phrases, and pointing at a line that read "Like." The doctors had discovered shortly after her birth that the muscles that allowed the vocal chords to vibrate didn't form properly, making it where they didn't vibrate at all, rendering her mute. There were procedures available but the Cain family had neither the income nor sufficient insurance to pay for the procedures.

"She's always reading it. I think she's read the whole book at least seven times." Regina said with a smile as she coughed. Part of their financial woes stemmed from the fact that Regina had been out of work due to a vocal injury.

"Aspiring to be a detective, huh, Cass?" Hilton asked as Cass blushed and shrugged slightly with a smile.

"Maybe that'll be your voice. Finding the facts, finding out who dun it?" Regina chuckled. Cass then shrugged before throwing two punches into the air.

"Cass, your voice doesn't have to include violence." Hilton said as Cass pointed to a line on her word sheet that read "No." then another line that read "Help."

"Oh, you mean to defend yourself?" Hilton asked as Cass nodded. Hilton smiled and sighed while leaning his back against the couch.

"Cassandra, you know I've always said that, should we ever have the money, I'd spring for that procedure that'll give you your voice. People might say your greatest flaw is your inability to speak…but never let yourself believe that. You speak to others in your own way. If they can't understand you, then it's their loss." Hilton said as Cassandra listened, smiling at him as he put his arm around her.

"I know I said violence doesn't have to be your voice. But don't let me be the one who tells you how to speak. Find your own voice. I could give some inspiring fatherly speech but I'm not. I just know, even without a voice as your mother and I know it, you're going to deafen all of Gotham with your voice, perhaps even the world." Hilton said as he stood up.

"And now I think dinner is called for. Let's eat!" Hilton said as Regina turned to the refrigerator.

"I couldn't reach you before you left your office so I couldn't ask what we should have tonight." Regina said, opening the fridge.

"That's fine. We can go out. Today was payday so we should have money in the bank. Let's go have a nice dinner together, take our minds off of today." Hilton said as Cassandra excitedly leapt from the couch, running to go put her shoes on, clutching her Sherlock Holmes book.

* * *

 **8:12 PM  
Luigi Farragut's Italian Restaurant.**

"So what did the doctor say about your throat? Any change?" Hilton asked as he and his family finished up their meal. Cassandra had already finished and was reading her book.

"He's not sure but he thinks I might have acid reflux. If I do, he can prescribe something to help. It'll still be a few months before I could sing again so that the damage is fixed." Regina said as she finished her water.

"It may be a moot point though." Hilton mumbled as he glanced at his overcoat.

"Hilton." Regina said warningly with a calm and quiet whisper.

"We might have to move though." Hilton replied quietly.

"We can discuss this later." Regina said back, noticeably disturbed by the conversation topic. Cassandra was confused still but didn't make any effort to find out why. She was also getting concerned. She could tell there was something going on that had her father and mother visibly worried but her father seldom said anything about his work so she wouldn't know what to ask if she did. Finally, the waiter returned with their paid bill.

"Your change, sir and have a pleasant evening." The waiter said with a smile as Hilton pocketed the change, save for a few dollars which he handed back to the waiter.

"For you and our compliments to the chef." Hilton said as the waiter nodded with a smile.

"Always a pleasure Mr. Cain." The Waiter said as Hilton paused with a curious look on his face before standing up. He watched as the waiter walked back to the kitchen before turning towards the door, a curious look on his face.

"What's the matter?" Regina asked as she helped Cassandra with her coat before putting on her own.

"Nothing it's just…did we introduce ourselves to the waiter?" Hilton asked they walked out the door and down the street towards their car.

"We may have." Regina shrugged. Cassandra however furrowed her brow and tugged at the sleeves of her parents. When they looked down at her, she shook her head.

"Why are you saying no, dear?" Regina asked, not getting her meaning, but Hilton did.

"We didn't introduce ourselves…so how did he know my last name?" Hilton asked, confused, as they continued walking through the cold winter air.

"You really need to ask, Mr. Cain?" a voice from behind them said. They turned and saw, holding a gun to them, was a man wearing a black balaclava mask with a grey skull imprint across the front and wearing a white overcoat. Hilton, Regina, and Cassandra each looked at the man in horror as he motioned towards the nearby alleyway, the three fearfully started stepping towards the alley as the man chuckled slightly.

"You stuck your nose too deep into somewhere it shouldn't have gone, Mr. Cain. You know what happens when the cat gets too curious." The man said as Hilton stood between the man and his family.

"Please, I'm the one you want. For God's sakes let them go!" Hilton begged, the gunman rolling his eyes.

"I would, but I also know your wife is an excellent singer and you know the old saw, it ain't over until the fat lady sings. Well, your old lady happens to be a looker. But we can't have any singing. Can't take the risk." The gunman said calmly. Regina tried to turn and run with Cassandra but was dismayed to discover that the alley was a dead end.

"Please, don't! I'll do anything! Please!" Hilton pleaded before a deafening shot rang out and Hilton dropped to the ground.

"HILTON!" Regina shouted out in horror and fear before another shot was heard. Regina proceeded to fall across her husband's body as Cassandra looked up fearfully at the gunman who had the gun trained on her. It felt like an eternity had gone by before the gunman finally sighed and lowered the gun.

"I'm not going to kill a kid. Just ain't right. Besides, you don't know enough to be trouble." The man said before turning and walking away, disappearing into the winter night as police sirens could be heard in the distance. Cassandra dropped to her knees, tears flowing down her cheeks as she knelt over what remained of her parents. At that moment she wished she could make a sound, so that she could cry out into the night. She threw back her head as she tried to let out a cry of anguish, but no sound came out. As she opened her eyes, she saw it. Something her father had always called a symbol of hope.

The symbol of a bat, lighting up the night sky.

It was at that moment, she realized the voice that lay nestled within her.

A voice of peace…

…a voice of hope…

…a voice of justice…

It was the voice…

…of the Batman.

* * *

 **Star Tours Traveler Presents…**

… **A Fanfiction story based on the Batman Franchise…**

 **Batman: Rise of the Blackbat**

* * *

 **End Chapter 1.**

 **Please R &R.**


	2. The Buried Punchline

**April 2nd  
11:02 PM – Modern Day  
Gotham City**

The Caped Crusader was knelt upon a gargoyle on the side of one of Gotham's many buildings, looking out towards the streets below, surveying the crowds of people below as the city's nightlife came alive. Despite the tranquil scene, all Batman could see were bad things waiting to happen, innocent lives that could be cut short in an instant or changed forever from one bad day.

"One bad day." Those had been the Joker's words. It had been only a month since that fateful day when the Joker shot and paralyzed Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and attempted to drive Commissioner Gordon insane all in the same night. The Joker had been beaten to within an inch of his life and was laid up in Arkham Asylum's medical wing in a body cast for an estimated six months. The Commissioner, at Batman's urging, was on medical leave and seeing a therapist to help him cope with the ordeal. Batman's periodic checkups on the Commissioner led him to believe that the Commissioner was fit for duty already but the therapy was to help convince the Commissioner's superiors at the State and County levels of the same thing.

As for the rest of the Batclan…

* * *

 **March 6th  
2:30 PM – 27 Days Ago  
Wayne Manor**

It was appropriately stormy that afternoon and Tim Drake (Robin) and Dick Grayson (Nightwing) both stood at one of the large windows overlooking the mountain road leading to the manor.

"So how's Barbara?" Tim asked softly.

"Lab reports came back. They're saying the damage Joker did to her spine is permanent. Any surgical procedures would be far too risky to attempt. (Sigh) It's Jason Todd all over again. Damn it I wish I'd been here instead of scouting Blüdhaven!" Dick replied, visibly suppressing his rage but his fists were clinched tightly.

"And that I had been there with him instead of with you. Why didn't Bruce just off the damn clown? After what he's done?! Killing Jason and paralyzing Barbara! Six months in a body cast is too easy compared to what he should've gotten." Tim said, equally angry. There was a flash of lightning in the distance and for a brief moment they saw Bruce Wayne's reflection in the glass along with their own. They both turned and saw him standing there, not looking at them, his body turned to face to their left and staring straight ahead.

"Killing the Joker would only satisfy the Joker, and the Joker alone. It would've been a complete betrayal of everything that we symbolize. We would have given into the Joker by killing him and would destroy ourselves in the process." Bruce replied softly but even then his words resonated like the thunder outside. Tim let out a slight groan.

"I know, I know, but it just doesn't feel like it's enough. Joker has been labeled certifiably insane so he can't be put to death for his crimes which means he just gets sent back to Arkham where he always escapes and causes more death, more destruction, more chaos. Why can't he be stopped permanently?!" Tim asked.

"Because killing him would make him a martyr to the criminal element. His death would and will cause a wave of crime unlike any other in Gotham's history and I don't mean corruption. I mean chaos. Destruction. Death. Keeping the Joker alive ironically keeps the peace." Batman said as Dick growled.

"Then lock him away somewhere he can't escape! You're a master escape artist! Design a cage to keep the clown locked up and throw him in!" Dick yelled, visibly angry with Bruce's reluctance to cage the clown.

"I've tried. Believe me. He always escapes." Bruce replied, not once turning to look at them. Tim and Dick looked at each other for a moment and then back at Bruce. His answers weren't completely satisfying but it at least seemed to calm them down.

"Alright. You've made your point." Dick replied reluctantly.

"Yeah, we'll try and show restraint next time Joker breaks out." Tim added. This was enough to earn Bruce's gaze.

"There won't be a next time. You're both off the team." Bruce said, startling the two.

"What?" Tim asked softly.

"Just because of what Tim said?!" Dick asked, alarmed.

"Because of what happened to Barbara, what happened to Jason. I should have made you hand in your cowls long ago when Jason was killed. I didn't and now Barbara has paid the price. No more. I won't be responsible for another of you getting injured or worse. From now on, the burden is mine alone to bear." Bruce said, stunning both of them.

"Bruce you can't be serious! Something like this, we need to be out there more than ever!" Dick argued.

"It's done! Your costumes and gear have already been locked away in the cave vaults and I've had your bikes moved to the cave garage and set into remote lockdown. Your passcodes to the cave computer and lockers have been changed as well. Nightwing and Robin are officially retired as of today. I suggest you get used to it." Bruce said before walking off into the manor, leaving a stunned pair of ex-vigilantes behind.

"He's bluffing. He has to be bluffing!" Tim said after a moment.

"He's not. He threatened to do this back when Jason got killed but after a while and when you came along he seemed to ease off the idea, but now…I guess Barbara was the straw that broke the-…" Dick said but stopped when he realized the poor timing of the idiom. He sighed, hating himself for even thinking of that particular one. Tim noticed but couldn't really fault him for it.

"So…what do we do?" Tim asked.

"Not much we can do I'm afraid." Dick replied softly, both men turning back towards the window, watching the rain fall outside.

* * *

 **Back in the present…**

Batman was airborne. Grappling between buildings until he reached the apartment complex that was home to Barbara Gordon. Batman reached the roof an adjacent building that offered a clear view of the windows to Barbara's apartment. The lights were on and Barbara could be seen rifling through some papers on the dinner table. This was a common sight for her as she usually worked on her college homework from there but the one thing that was still uncommon for her and all who knew her, including Bruce, was the sight of the shining aluminum wheelchair she sat in now.

Barbara let out a sigh as she finished putting her papers in a binder on the table. She then instinctively put her hands on the arms of the wheelchair and moved to stand up but as with each time she did for the past month, she only got about an inch off the seat before pausing and remembering her condition, making her sigh in sadness and frustration as she sat back down. She threw her head back in annoyance, anger and grief clear in her expressions. She then reached down and took the breaks off the chair before setting her binder on her lap and starting to roll herself back towards a short bookcase near the door where she kept her book bag. As she rolled along, the binder slipped off her lap and fell to the floor, earning another groan of frustration from the red haired former Batgirl. She started to reach down and grab the binder but it was just a little too far out of reach, causing her to lean too far as she strained to reach it. Suddenly her weight shifted too much and the chair went over, sending her sprawling to the floor, a yelp of surprise coming from her as she disappeared beneath the window frame, out of Batman's view. Batman's first reaction was to leap across and help her up but he stayed his hand, especially as he saw the door to Barbara's apartment open.

"Barbara, I-…Barbara!" Commissioner James Gordon exclaimed as he dropped the grocery bags he was carrying with him and rushed to his daughter's side. Batman breathed a slight sigh of relief knowing that the Commissioner was there.

"I'm fine Dad. Just lost my balance that's all." Barbara said as Gordon righted her chair before scooping her up in his arms.

"It's been a long time since I heard you say that. After gymnastics, back when you were first starting out. I'd worry about you then I worry about you especially now." Jim said as he set her back in her chair.

"Dad, I'm fine." Barbara said as Jim put her feet back on the footplates for her.

"I know, I know. It's just-…(sigh). I can't stop thinking about-…" Jim replied, looking at Barbara's wheelchair, his mind flashing back to the grisly collage of photographs the Joker had taken of her and forced him to view.

"Dad, you're seeing the chair, not me. I hate this thing just as much as you do but it's not going anywhere so I just have to get used to it. We both have to get used to it." She said as Jim sighed, kneeling down to her eye level. They then heard someone clear their throat by the door. They both looked and saw Dick Grayson in the doorway, picking up the discarded grocery bags.

"Is now a bad time?" Dick asked.

"Not really." Barbara replied, Dick walking in and setting the bags on the counter.

"She had a little tumble, that's all. OW!" Jim yelped, earning a strong elbow jab in the lower rib cage from Barbara.

"Stop treating me like I'm a child!" she yelled.

"I'll come back later." Dick said, wanting to escape the family squabble.

"No, no, Greyson stay. I'll go." Jim said as he headed for the door.

"No I really should-." "Trust me son, she probably needs you more than an old man who keeps coddling her right now." Jim said as he headed for the door but Dick grabbed his arm.

"Commish, it's not your fault. You know that, I know that, Barb knows that, and the bat standing on the rooftop outside across the street knows that too." Dick said, all three of them looking towards the window where Batman was looking in from the adjacent rooftop. Batman scowled at being outed and quietly rose from his hiding spot before grappling away.

"What was Batman doing here?" Jim asked, confused.

"Who knows?" Dick mumbled to no one in particular, still visibly disgruntled for being struck off a month prior. Jim silently excused himself, leaving Barbara and Dick alone.

"Any luck convincing Bruce to change his mind?" Barbara asked shortly after the Commissioner left.

"None. He's added new security measures even. Handprint ID or retinal scanners at all cave entrances. Tim and I can't even get into the cave now." Dick replied as he sat down on the couch, Barbara wheeling herself over to sit near him. She let out a sigh in response.

"He's still blaming himself for what happened to me. I know he is. I'm the Commissioner's daughter. That automatically painted a bullseye on my spine. It had nothing to do with my being Batgirl. Hell we don't even know if the Joker even knew about that. It's not likely he did. Evidence points to my being the Commissioner's daughter. That's it." Barbara said as Dick groaned.

"You know that. I know that. Hell he knows that but it's not changing his mind. I think part of this is just the lingering doubts over Jason's death." Dick replied.

"That wasn't his fault either." Barbara said softly.

"Yeah but of the two, you're the only one still breathing after your encounter with the Joker. A living reminder of some contrived failure to protect you. Meanwhile Joker's practically enshrined that bloody crowbar of his." Dick grumbled.

"Probably enshrined the gun he used to shoot me or maybe even keeps those…those pictures somewhere nice and close." Barbara mumbled, disgusted and humiliated by the very thought of those photos.

"Well, actually I have good news on that. Overheard Bullock talking with Montoya a few days ago. Turns out some of your dad's friends in evidence storage 'accidently' got those filed in with some old closed case evidence marked for dispo day and dispo day is tomorrow. They did it as a kind gesture to your dad after all that's happened. Didn't want those floating around as a reminder." Dick said as Barbara smiled slightly.

"That actually does make me feel better." She said softly.

"I thought it might." Dick said as he placed his hand atop of Barbara's. Barb returned the gesture, stroking the side of his hand with her thumb.

* * *

 **11:22 PM  
Gotham City Police Department – Evidence Storage**

A pair of nightshift officers were walking through the dimly lit and large storage room, walking past the large shelves full of boxes upon boxes of evidence for different cases. One of them had a clipboard and the other had his flashlight handy.

"You sure we should be tossing out evidence on Gordon's case?" one of them asked.

"The case is closed, man. Besides, you don't know what that sicko did to the Commish's daughter. There were…pictures." The other answered, his voice wavering in disgust at the thought.

"I met the Commish's daughter. Nice kid. Wanted to be a cop I think. Hard to think she's got no legs to stand on right no-OW!"

"Too soon you idiot! Commish hears you-…hell if anyone from the bullpen hears you crack a joke like that, you'll be on traffic duty before you can say drug bust!" the second officer hissed.

"Hey I wasn't makin' light of it! I think it's terrible too. Makes me want to go put a few rounds in that clown faced bastard." The first said, defensively.

"Get in line. No one hurts one of our own. Nobo-…" the second said before pausing, reaching for his gun.

"What is it?" the second asked softly.

"Thought I heard somethin'." The first said but all they could hear was the hum of the AC echoing through the ventilation shafts. After a moment, the first relaxed, his hand moving away from his gun.

"Must've been my imagination." "Don't worry about it. This place gives me the willies." "Hey, they've got a two-for-one special on doughnuts at Duke's Diner. I'm buyin'." "Dukes sells the non-powdered jelly ones right?" "Yeah?" "Hope they've got lemon." The two officers said as they walked out of the evidence room, locking the door behind them. As soon as the sound of their footsteps had faded away, a figure in a black ski mask, black sweatshirt and pants, black gloves, and black shoes rolled out from underneath the shelving, rolling onto their knees.

" _Everythin' alright lass? I heard voices."_ a woman with a thick Irish accent asked through a headset hidden under the mask. The figure quietly tapped the side of its head in a rhythmic fashion, tapping out a message in Morse code against the headset microphone, the message reading.

"Cocl." Which itself was code for "coast is clear."

" _Ah good. Could ye hurry it up lass? I dunna want ta hear of ye gettin' arrested now. This is dangerous work."_ The voice on the other end replied as the figure produced a pocket flashlight from its belt and turned it on, scanning through the boxes of evidence until it reached a box marked "Cain H." and "Cain R." and was dated eight years ago. A layer of dust on the box and a large red stamp on one side reading "Cold Case" indicated it had been sitting there for about that long. The figure quietly pulled the box off the shelf and set it on the ground, putting the flashlight in its mouth before pulling the lid off and peering inside.

Inside the box were file folders full of documentation and photographs of the Cain Murders along with plastic baggies holding the shell casings and recovered bullets from the crime. Hilton Cain's wallet was in there as well, along with a cut segment of a blood soaked shirt, cut off of Hilton's shirt and another segment of Regina's bloody clothes. Various skin and hair samples of the victims were stored in baggies as well. The masked figure was knelt, staring at the contents of the box in silence, the sounds of the Cain's final moments echoing through the figure's mind. The figure shook its head, holding back a tear but allowed a sniffle to escape as it pulled out a smartphone from its pocket and pulled the folder from inside as well, opening it up and starting to go through the folder. Snapping at least two pictures of each document. The figure had just finished when it heard the sound of keys jingling outside the door. The figure paused, turning off the light as the sound of a key being pushed inside the lock could be heard. The figure scrambled to put the folder back in the box before placing the lid back on it. It got some extra time when it heard the sound of the guard mumble a curse as it discovered it was using the wrong key and started fumbling for the right one. The figure managed to put the box back on the shelf and dive under the shelving just as the door opened, the night guard stepping inside with a flashlight, looking around. The figure remained hidden, breathing as softly as it could.

The guard started to walk the aisles, his usual patrol, not at all aware of the intruder in the evidence room. The figure quietly started to tap out a message through the headset.

"Div" which meant "diversion."

" _Triggerin' a fake security breach on the upstairs. I think a ghost just broke a window."_ The Irishwoman's voice said coyly. The guard's radio crackled to life.

" _Hey Jenkins, we're getting a security alarm from the second floor near the commissioner's office. You mind checking it out?"_ an officer on the other end asked.

"Ten-four, officer responding." The guard replied into the radio, heading out of the room, giving the figure ample time to roll out from under the shelving and crawl into the air vent, crawling its way to safety. After a few minutes of crawling through the vents, the figure emerged in a back alley behind the GCPD building and immediately rushed towards a fence blocking off an adjacent alley, clamoring over it and running through the alley towards where an old station wagon sat. The figure quickly got into the passenger seat next to a woman in a black sweater, knee length navy blue skirt, black leggings, Mary Jane shoes, and a silver crucifix on a chain around her neck sat in the driver's seat. On the woman's lap was a high-end laptop which she promptly closed and started stuffing back into a backpack on the floor beneath her legs.

"There ye are lass. I was worried aboot ya." The woman said as she started the car. The figure removed the mask to reveal a fifteen year old girl with raven colored shoulder length black hair kept in a tight bun which she soon undid. The girl picked up a black and grey dog clicker in the cup holder and started clicking out her response.

" _Win."_

"Good. I dunna want ta have ta hack in ta the GCPD security ever a-gain." The woman replied as she placed the backpack into the backseat before starting the car, pulling out of the alley and onto the street. As they rode along, the girl began looking through the pictures on the smartphone.

"Did ya get what ye were lookin' for, Cassandra?" the woman asked as the girl let out a sad sigh and nodded, clicking out an answer.

" _Y"_ for yes. The woman sighed with relief and smiled.

"Maybe this'll give ya some closure. Let your ma and da rest easily." The woman said as Cassandra Cain shook her head, cycling through to a photo of the box label and showing it to the woman, making sure the large red stamp reading "Cold Case" was center screen. The woman blinked in surprise.

"What? They dinna solve it? Oh Cassandra, I'm sorry, lass. But what can we do now? T'ain't nothin' we can do. We've reached a dead end." The woman replied but Cassandra wasn't giving up as her eyes narrowed.

She wasn't giving up, not by a long shot and the answer was in those old files.

* * *

 **End Chapter 2**

 **Please R &R…**

For a visual reference on Cassandra, I recommend visiting Deviant Art and looking up the artist Phil-Cho. He has some amazing images of the entire Batclan. I use his versions of Cassandra, Stephanie Brown, and others as a visual reference for the characters in my story. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Alfred, and Joker I imagine using their Arkham Series appearances.


	3. Cold Case

**April 3rd  
12:33 PM  
Saint Jerome's Catholic Home for Wayward Girls  
Church Sanctuary**

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen." Father Bishop, the priest overseeing Saint Jerome's, said as he closed the morning mass. He was a man in his late fifties with a pair of reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He had balding white hair and a gentle demeanor in his expressions.

" **Amen."** The congregation of school girls, aged 5 to 15, and their Nun caretakers all responded save for one near the back, a raven haired Cassandra Cain who quietly made the signs of the cross while the Irishwoman sat next to her. Cassandra was in the traditional Saint Jerome's Catholic School blazer but also had a Saint Jerome's medal around her neck, something she'd worn since coming to the school eight years ago.

"Go in peace, my children. Remember to keep today's lesson on faith close to heart during your studies." Father Bishop said as the sanctuary started to echo with the chatter of the school girls as the sisters escorted them out. Cassandra quietly watched them leave for a moment before following after the Irishwoman towards the front of the altar where Father Bishop was putting away the bible.

"Father Bishop, another excellent message sir." The woman greeted, earning a chuckle from Father Bishop.

"Ah Sister Anne, as I've said before, your praise should be directed at God, not mortal man." He said as he smiled gently down towards her.

"Oh aye, but ye canna deny an Irishwoman's love-o-God, a stout beer, and a good fight. Same can be said of the man speakin' the word of the lord." Anne replied, Father Bishop allowing a laugh of amusement.

"Ah I can't argue with that. And how are you today Cassandra?" Father Bishop asked as Cassandra gave a courteous nod and started signing out her response.

"She says 'I am well Father. Better than I have been in years.'" Anne translated.

"Oh? And is there anything in particular that has brought about this 'wellness' of yours?" Bishop asked as Cassandra reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was a printout of a picture of the evidence box containing the Cain Murder evidence. She paused before unfolding it and quickly did the Sign of the Cross which signaled she was invoking the privacy of the confessional.

"Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been two days since my last confession." Anne translated as Bishop gave a nod and sat down on the altar steps. Cassandra then handed him the printout, the priest unfolding it and looking at the label, furrowing his brow in confusion for a moment.

"Is this…this is a photograph of an evidence box…the box for your parents' murder case. How did you get this?" Bishop asked as Cassandra took a breath and pointed at the cold case stamp on the box.

"Oh my. I am so sorry to hear that my child. Eight years and you are still without closure for your parents' death. All I can really say is continue to have faith that your parents' killer will face justice, if not on this earth then before the Almighty if they have not faced such justice already." Bishop said, pocketing the picture. Cassandra didn't reply, looking contemplative for a moment before doing the Sign of the Cross again and turning to leave. Anne shrugged helplessly and hurried after her, leaving Bishop to watch the young orphan depart.

"So what now, Cass? T'ain't much we can do now." Anne said as she caught up with Cassandra outside the church. Saint Jerome's functioned as a combination Catholic Church, Girl's School, and Orphanage. There were three buildings on the grounds. The orphanage and school functioned out of an old three story building with the girls and nuns living on the ground floor, the school rooms on the second floor, and a third floor that was partly abandoned and used primarily for storage. There was also the main church which had been built within the last twenty years as the old original church had gotten too small to accommodate the size of the weekly congregation. The old church still stood but sat abandoned near the back of the grounds. Cassandra was headed straight for the old church.

"Cassandra, the case is cold. It's over. What could you possibly find now that the police couldn't find in eight years?" Anne asked but Cassandra didn't give any kind of response, walking along past the side of the church to a large iron gate built into the exterior wall. She pulled the gate open and headed inside, an old stone staircase going down beneath the church into a series of catacombs. Anne followed after her, closing the gate behind them. The two made their way down into the dark catacombs beneath the church, navigating by the light built into Cassandra's smartphone. They soon reached a large room lit by an old set of work lights that were plugged into the wall.

The room was a sealed off storm cellar built beneath the main orphanage building. It had been sealed off long ago after several girls were caught doing drugs inside there. The main entrance was barred but an old entrance to the catacombs that had been sealed long ago had since given way and so it was once again accessible via the catacombs. Cassandra flipped a switch on the wall, turning on some floor lamps that had been smuggled in from the surface. The room had a table up against the wall with an Ethernet cable run down through a crack in the ceiling near a wall outlet where Anne's laptop sat plugged in and charging. On the same table was an old out of date inkjet printer that had been refurbished and modified to use a usb connection. Another table had books and folders containing Cassandra's notes and files on her investigation into her parents' murder. There were also parts strewn about from a number of projects Cassandra had been working on. Nearby was a disused classroom chalkboard that had numerous notes on the case taped up on it. There was an old alcove along one wall that was hidden by an old altar cloth that had seen far better days, strung up across the alcove entrance. There were also a few old weights that had seen better days. It was Cassandra's lair. Cassandra immediately went to the table with her notes and the printouts of the pictures she'd taken the night before, looking over the old case notes of the Cain Murders from eight years ago.

Anne sighed and sat down at her laptop but turned towards the youth as the girl silently poured through the documents. Anne watched her for a moment before her mind began to drift. She took notice of the various books on Cassandra's table. The Complete Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Library of Sherlock Holmes stories which was perhaps Cassandra's most prized possession and the only possession she had from before her parents' murder short of an old laminated sheet of words and phrases that was pressed between the pages of the book. Along with the Holmesian books sat books on forensics, martial arts, free running, a copy of the King James Bible, and an old photograph of Hilton Cain along with an old playbill from the Gotham City Metropolitan Opera House depicting Regina Cain in one of her final roles before having to take a leave of absence and before her untimely death. In front was a lone prayer candle that was not lit at present. Anne quietly looked back at Cassandra as she continued looking through the photographs, looking for some clue that the police might have missed. As she did, Anne's mind began to drift back to the day the two first met…

* * *

 **November 12th – 8 years ago.  
6:44 AM  
Outside of Saint Jerome's**

Anne O'Patrick, literally fresh off the boat from Ireland, shivered in the cold November air as she walked up the street, seeking shelter from the cold as she headed towards the Catholic Church. She had nothing but an old flannel shirt, jean jacket, a brown skirt, black leggings, white sneakers and a backpack full of her few remaining possessions. As she walked up the sidewalk, she glanced ahead and saw something odd. It was what appeared to be a young girl, seven years old at least, with short raven hair, in a red jacket, carrying a book under her arm. She appeared lost and scared and her eyes looked as if she had been crying recently. Anne noticed that there was something unnatural about the redness of her jacket too.

"Hullo! Little lass! Are you alright?!" Anne called, catching the girl's attention. The girl froze with a look of fear and turned to run. Anne quickly chased after her.

"Little lass! Wait! I don't want to hurt you!" she called, the girl stumbling and falling forward, Anne quickly catching up.

"Are ye alright? Ye look bad off." She said as she helped the girl sit up, and quite quickly recognized the familiar smell of blood coming from the girl.

"Oh heavens, are you hurt? Are ye alright?" Anne asked but the girl didn't reply, merely breathing heavily from the cold air. Anne was convinced she needed help and picked her up, carrying her in her arms and starting to look around anxiously for some kind of shelter. That's when her eyes settled again on Saint Jerome's. She took off running, running towards the doors and immediately started kicking the door.

"Help! Somebody! Come quick! I need help!" Anne yelled. The door opened only a few seconds later, revealing Father Bishop, his hair having a little more of a bronze tint.

"What is the matter young lady?" Bishop asked as he allowed Anne inside.

"I found the lass outside. She looks hurt! She needs a doctor!" Anne replied. In the present, Anne's thoughts jumped ahead a few hours…

…

 **1:12 PM  
Saint Jerome's Orphanage – Office of Father Robert Bishop**

Cassandra sat in a chair at Bishop's desk, a blanket around her and a bowl of fresh but untouched chicken noodle soup. Outside the office Anne, Bishop, Doctor Leslie Tompkins from the clinic down the street (as she was the closest doctor to the church) watched as Commissioner James Gordon entered the building accompanied by Detectives Bullock and Montoya.

"Father Bishop, I'm Commissioner Gordon. I understand you found an unknown girl outside with some kind of injury?" Jim asked.

"Actually it was this young lady here who found her." Bishop replied.

"Commissioner…" Leslie interrupted.

"Ah yes, Doctor Tompkins. I can assume that you examined the girl?" Gordon asked as Leslie nodded.

"Yes and I'd like to point out that the girl has no physical injuries short of a couple of scratches and bruises, none of which would be enough to leave so much blood on the jacket." Leslie said as Gordon nodded.

"Which means she's more likely a witness to a crime." Gordon commented as Montoya peeked in and looked at the girl.

"Sir, there was an APB put out recently for the missing daughter of an accountant and his wife that were found shot dead a couple days ago a few blocks from here. She matches the description." Montoya said as Gordon looked in for a second, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was a fresh missing persons poster with a slightly blurry photograph of a girl matching the one in the office.

"Is it her, chief?" Bullock asked as Gordon took a deep breath.

"It's her. Poor kid saw her parents gunned down before her eyes. I've seen it once before." Gordon said sadly.

"Oh the poor lass." Anne said but in a perfect American accent. Father Bishop glanced her way at this but said nothing.

"And you're the one who found her, Miss-…" Gordon asked.

"O'Patrick. Anne O'Patrick." Anne replied, again with an American accent. Gordon nodded understandingly.

"Has she said anything?" Gordon asked.

"Not a word I'm afraid." Bishop replied.

"Well I doubt you will. The girl's name is Cassandra Cain. Her parents were Hilton Cain, an accountant, and Regina Cain, the Opera Singer. Both were found shot to death in an alley near Luigi's Restaurant two days ago. A patrol car found them in the alley and called it in. Once we got an I.D. on them, we learned about her. We checked the hospitals for any sign of her but when we did, we met the Cain's doctor. Turns out our girl in there is a mute. Has been since birth." Gordon explained as the doctor, priest, and Irishwoman all looked at each other in surprise and pity.

"A mute?" Leslie asked.

"Yeah, some kind of deformity in the vocal cords. Kid couldn't make a sound even if she wanted to." Gordon replied.

"That would explain why she was carrying around that sheet of words. It's so she could communicate." Anne commented.

"Would make sense. With your permission Padre, I'd like to have a minute with her, see if I can't get some kind of statement from her. She might be our only witness to the murder." Gordon said as Bishop gave a gentle nod.

"Of course."

…

Back in the present, Anne had gotten lost in thought when Cassandra rose from her chair, walked over towards the chalkboard and started writing down names in an empty section of the board with a piece of chalk.

"What're you doin' lass?" Anne asked but Cassandra motioned to wait. After a moment she had written down a short list of names…

Gordon – Commissioner  
Bullock – Detective  
Montoya – Detective

She then scratched her head for a moment before writing down the name "Paulings?" She then turned to Anne, tapped at the name whilst pointing at the computer. Anne got the hint and turned towards her laptop, opening it up.

"Paulings? Who's Paulings?" Anne asked as Cassandra picked up a notepad and started writing something on it as she approached Anne's table. She then set the pad down near Anne who read…

" _Detective Paulings. Father spoke with him before dinner. Said he'd help? Not in police reports."_ Cassandra had written. Anne immediately understood and turned towards her computer, hacking into the GCPD Database with ease.

"The blarney cops canna keep a decently secured network, the fool lot-a-them." Anne mumbled to herself as she did a search through the database until they found what they were looking for but they weren't expecting on where it was they had found it.

"Detective Peter Paulings, GCP-…The havers! An Internal Affairs file! The bastard's dirty! Suspended indefinitely pendin' investigation on corruption charges!" Anne exclaimed as Cassandra's eyes widened in shock and horror for a moment before narrowing into anger. She then reached over and hit the print button, the printer soon producing a printed copy of Paulings's profile which included his address. Cassandra grabbed a highlighter and highlighted his address before starting to cut out only the line with his address before storming over towards the covered alcove.

"Cass, what're ye doin'? We canna do anythin' now! What're ye goin ta do lass?! He's a cop! Ski-masks won't scare the likes-o-…" Anne froze mid-sentence as Cassandra ripped off the veil covering the alcove where, hanging up in the alcove was a handmade black costume with a cape and cowl, the cowl with a pair of distinguishable pointed ears and a familiar bat shaped logo emblazoned across the chest. Anne quickly caught on and shook her head in shock.

"No…no-no-no-no-no lass! You're gonna impersonate…you're gonna impersonate Batman?!" Anne asked as Cassandra pulled the costume down, staring at the emblem on the chest.

"Cassandra you canna do that! This is…this is batman you're talkin' about!" Anne said but Cassandra didn't listen, carrying the cowl over to her workbench, picking up her radio headset and putting it inside the cowl before tapping the right ear while looking directly at Anne pleadingly. Anne sighed heavily with a look of reluctance.

"I shouldn't do this but I've got nary a choice. At least wait until night. Ya know Batman only comes out at night." Anne said as Cassandra gave a quiet nod, setting the cowl down with a smile towards her friend.

* * *

 **8:03 PM  
Gotham City Police Department – The Office of Commissioner James Gordon**

Commissioner Gordon had just exited the elevator and was walking towards his office. As he did, he saw Detective Bullock as he stepped out of the men's room, nearly bumping into the Commissioner.

"Huh? Oh hey Commish! What're you doin' here? I thought you was on leave?" Harvey asked as Jim kept on walking towards his office.

"I am. I just wanted to pick up my spare can of pipe tobacco and a few other things. I'm not here, Bullock. You never even saw me." Jim said as Harvey shrugged.

"If you say so, Commish." Harvey said as he stepped into his office, turning to close the door behind him. No sooner had he turned away from the window…

"You feeling alright, Jim?"

Gordon turned around and saw the silhouette of the Dark Knight in the window of his office.

"About as good as can be expected after what that monster did to my little girl and I. I never have had the chance to thank you. Word is you got the Joker by the book, like I asked. I know it probably took considerable restraint on your part not to cave that monster's head in." Jim said as he stepped over to his desk, opening the lap drawer and pulling out a round tin of pipe tobacco.

"About as much as it took you to even ask I show restraint." Batman replied as Jim sat down in his chair with a deep sigh.

"I know you've been lurking around my daughter's place to keep an eye on her. I appreciate it." Jim said as Batman allowed a small smile to appear on his face. He then proceeded to place a small plastic bag full of a strange black mass.

"Here. A little gift from the GCPD to you." Batman said as Gordon looked at the mass with curiosity.

"What is it? Looked like someone burned a bunch of papers." He asked.

"They're the Joker's pictures. All of them. Even the film. Incinerated this afternoon after an 'accidental' filing error in the Evidence Department." Batman said as Jim sighed with light relief.

"So the only place I'll see those pictures will be in my darkest memories. Remind me to thank the guys some time. So enough about me, Batman. What about you? I've not seen much of you since we spoke at that amusement park." Jim said as Batman frowned slightly and looked away.

"You know me, Jim. I keep busy." Batman replied.

"Yeah? What about your sidekicks? Your Batclan? Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl? How're they holding up?" Jim asked.

"I've ordered them into retirement. After what happened to Barbara, it made me realize that even the people I care about are targets, mask or no mask." Batman replied.

"Can't imagine they were too happy about that decision. It would be like trying to ask you to quit." Jim commented, prepping his pipe for a smoke.

"Batgirl was considering retirement anyway." Batman said but Jim knew better.

"No she wasn't. Probably was the one who raised the biggest stink about it, wasn't she?" Jim asked before Batman heard a beeping in his ear. He quietly activated his cowl's HUD and saw a string of text alerting him to a security breach at Wayne Manor.

"I have to go, Jim. Someone's trying to break into my home." Batman said, turning away towards the window.

"Need some backup?" Jim asked with a coy smirk.

"Nice try Jim. Besides, it's only Robin and Nightwing." Batman replied before leaping out the window, leaving Jim to sit and chuckle slightly before taking a puff of his pipe. He wasn't alone long however as one of the detectives knocked on his door.

"Can I bother you Commissioner?" the detective asked.

"Hmm? Oh sure, come on in Taylor. I'm just enjoying some peace and quiet. Besides I'm not really here." Jim said as the detective gave a nod.

"Yes sir, Chief, I know. But I wouldn't mention this if I didn't think it was important. E-Crimes just called. Someone's hacked the GCPD Database." The detective reported, earning a grim look from Gordon.

"Who was it and what did they get?" Gordon asked.

"We don't know yet. IP Addresses got scrambled but their fingerprints were all over what they touched. The last thing they touched was the IA Profile on Detective Paulings." Taylor reported, causing Gordon's eyes to widen.

"Order every available unit to Paulings's resident! It sounds like his old business partners might be trying to shut him up permanently!" Jim ordered, Taylor quickly rushing out of the office. Jim stood up, starting to throw on his coat when his hand brushed against the bag full of the charred remains of the photographs. He paused and looked at the bag, a grim look on his face before he picked up the bag and tossed them into the trash before making sure his pistol was loaded and slipping it into his holster…

…Commissioner Jim Gordon was officially back on the clock.

* * *

 **End Chapter 3.**

 **Please R &R.**

I own Anne O'Patrick, Father Bishop, and Detective Taylor.

Yes I am aware of the irony of Father Bishop's name.


	4. The Batgirl

**8:41 PM  
Wayne Manor**

Inside Wayne Manor, Tim kept watch just inside one of the opened access doors to the Batcave while Dick attempted to hack the security overrides controlling a series of security doors. They had already gotten through three of them minus the initial hidden door. Dick had a strange wireless device with an antenna plugged into a control panel on the wall near the door.

"Geez! Just how many doors are there anyway?!" Tim asked in annoyance.

"Nine. Number five's made of a titanium and diamond composite alloy. Virtually invulnerable to brute force tactics. We're at number four." Dick replied as he waited for the controls to turn green.

"Where'd you get that hacking tool anyway?" Tim asked.

"Same place I got this spare wingding that Bruce never confiscated." Dick replied, patting the wingding sticking out of his pocket. Finally, the console beeped, the lights on it turning from red to green.

"Finally. On to the next-…oh crap." Dick said.

"What? Oh crap wha-?" Tim asked, turning around to see what Dick saw…

Bruce Wayne, standing between them and the fifth door, his arms crossed and looking pissed.

"Oh…crap." Tim finished as Bruce started approaching them, snatching the hacking tool from the console as he passed, Dick and Tim both backing away and out of the tunnel, Bruce continuing to follow them until all three were clear of the secret door which slid back into place, revealing a grandfather clock.

"Bruce, we're not giving up. We're not just going to sit idly by and let you do all this on your own." Dick said. Bruce said nothing, holding up the hacking tool and looking at it curiously.

"It seems I've underestimated the two of you." Bruce said calmly before pulling his smartphone from his pocket.

"Computer, initiate lockout protocol Alpha-Red-Twelve." Bruce said into the phone, causing Dick to vocally hiss in annoyance.

"What's that mean?" Tim asked.

"It means he's locked it down even more. Five-foot-thick doors to all cave entrances made of solid steel." Dick replied, causing Tim to hiss in frustration.

"Pretty soon you're going to lock yourself out of there because we're not stopping." Dick replied.

"Then I'll keep inventing new ways to keep you out." Bruce said before pocketing his phone and walking off, noticing Alfred standing idly by, dusting some of the furniture.

"Thanks for the tip off, Alfred." Bruce commented, Alfred pausing.

"Master Bruce, I would like to go on record and say that my alerting you to their break in was made under duress." Alfred stated plainly.

"You mean they forced you to warn me?" Bruce asked.

"No sir, meaning that I didn't want to warn you at all, but as you ordered me to make sure they didn't attempt to force entry to the batcave, I was left with no choice in the matter." Alfred replied, surprising Bruce.

"Alfred?"

"I have nothing more to say, Master Bruce. I've left your supper on the desk in your chambers sir. Masters Greyson and Drake, yours will be served to you in the dining room." Alfred said before walking away, leaving Bruce to stand in surprise while Tim and Dick, both equally surprised, followed silently after him. Even Alfred, despite his loyalty, was stagnating at Bruce's actions over the past month. Bruce was still standing in surprise when his phone started buzzing. He looked at his phone and saw the Bat signal on it. He quickly turned and hurried to the secret entrance, the doors opening for him and closing behind him.

* * *

 **8:10 PM  
Lancashire Tenements Apartment Complex – The Home of P. Paulings.**

Ex-Detective Peter Paulings sat sprawled across his couch in his dingy apartment. He had been under house arrest ever since Internal Affairs caught wind of some less than legitimate dealings with people of even less legitimacy and even found some evidence to establish a connection. The mob had long since abandoned him anyway but Internal Affairs didn't know that. As a result, Paulings was forced to wear an ankle bracelet at all times so he wasn't able to leave his apartment. GCPD Cops had to bring him food to sustain him when his own reserves had run out.

At the moment, Paulings was bored. His cable bill was past due so he had no television and his water and electricity were only kept on because he'd paid the landlord well in advance but even that was running out. Finally he decided to head to bed and give up the fight of trying to find something to occupy his time. He didn't notice the figure shrouded in black climbing up the drain pipe running up the side of the building near his balcony. The figure peered over the railing and saw Paulings getting up from the couch, heading for his bedroom. The figure quickly leapt over the railing, sneaking up to the sliding glass door whilst producing a hairpin and a tiny screwdriver, using the tools to quickly pick the lock before spinning behind the protection of the half-drawn curtain over the door just as Paulings stepped back in, investigating the click of the door being unlocked. After a moment he stepped back cautiously into his bedroom. Cassandra quietly started tapping against the headset microphone.

" _Li"_ for "lights."

" _Aye. Power outage in three, two-…"_ Anne replied over the radio before suddenly the apartment went dark.

"What the hell?!" Paulings yelled from inside as Cassandra slipped inside through the door, the disoriented ex-detective staggering around in the dark. Cassandra pulled an LED flashlight from her pocket and snuck up towards Paulings. Once she was close enough, she kicked an empty beer can, causing Paulings to spin towards her just in time for her to blind him with the flashlight.

"AUGH! MY EYES!" he cried before being powered into the counter by Cassandra who moved to stand over him on the counter, shining the light up beneath her, illuminating just enough of her for Paulings to see the Batman insignia on her chest. His eyesight was just distorted enough from the point blank flash to the eyes to miss the subtle flaws that would decry it a forgery. He froze in fear.

"Batman?!" he asked, Cassandra making a growling nose of anger.

"Please! Don't hurt me! I'll tell you anything! Anything you want!" Paulings pleaded before Cassandra threw him off the counter and to the floor. The cowardly ex-Detective rolled onto his back, scrambling to try and get away of the dark figure in his room. Cassandra quietly pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and tossed it at him. Paulings shakily picked up the paper, unfolding it and holding it up, Cassandra turning on her flashlight to light it up from the back, allowing Paulings to see it was an old newspaper clipping of the Gotham Gazette, focusing on the Cain Murders and featuring photographs of both of the deceased Cain's. Written beneath the clipping was typed…

" **Who killed them?"**

"T-T-The Cain Murders?! Oh hey I had nothing to do with them! I swear!" Paulings said but Cassandra simply stomped him in the crotch, causing him to howl in pain while she threw another folded paper at him. He unfolded this paper which had a picture of Hilton Cain on it and the following…

" **You spoke with him only a few hours before he was murdered. Said you would help him somehow. Why didn't you?"**

"L-L-L-Look, I didn't kill them! I swear and I don't remember who did! It was eight years ago! I never pulled the trigger! Honest!" Paulings pleaded only for Cassandra to grind her foot into his junk, causing him to howl in pain.

"OKAY OKAY! He didn't know it but he was a mob accountant! Their money went through his firm! They liked to keep their guys oblivious so they'd be less inclined to rat! He called me that day, saying that he think he knew his clients was dirty! I just happened to be the guy who answered! The gangsters were paying me under the table to warn them about GCPD investigations! I didn't know which of them had accounts through his firm so I warned all of them! It could've been any one of them that ordered the hit! Please! That's all I know! I swear!" Paulings cried. Suddenly Anne came on over Cassandra's radio.

" _Cass! They're on ta ya! Police scanners 's lit up! They're mobilizin' on the bastard's apartment! Get outta there!"_ Anne said as Cassandra's eyes widened. No sooner has Anne gotten off the radio than there was pounding at the front door.

"GCPD! Open up!" an officer on the other side yelled. They must have been the officers monitoring Paulings. Cassandra quickly ran, leaving the fearful ex-Detective mewling on the floor. Cassandra leaping over the railing and sliding down the drain pipe before leaping to a small ledge at the corner, pulling a crude grappling hook from her belt and throwing it towards a TV Antenna jutting out of the side of one of the adjacent buildings, the hook snagging as she needed it to. She then swung across, the antenna breaking slightly under her weight but it held long enough to reach the side of a fire escape on the back of another apartment building. Cassandra could hear police sirens approaching in the distance as she reeled in her grappling hook by hand. Once retracted, she started free climbing up the fire escape, not using the ladders to avoid detection. Finally she reached the roof and was now running across the rooftops, leaping across the gaps between buildings towards an alleyway two blocks away from Paulings' apartment building. Soon all that was between her was a steep drop down the side of a building into an alleyway and a fast dash across the street to where Anne sat in the station wagon waiting for her.

She looked down the side of the building on the other side of the alleyway from her and saw a window near the top. She took her grappling hook and threw it towards the window, the hook smashing the window but catching on the frame. She quickly swung up against the side of the building and repelled down before pulling the entire window frame from the window, the rusty old frame giving way with ease and falling to the ground without hitting Cassandra who pulled the hook free and darted across the street, making it across just in time as a pair of cop cars came flying around the corner.

"That was too close lass! Come on!" Anne said as she started the car, driving off at a casual rate of speed to avoid detection while Cassandra removed her cowl, pulling a recording device from her belt, stopping the recording and rewinding it for a few seconds before hitting play.

" _-gangsters were paying me under the table to warn them about GCPD investigations! I didn't know which of them had accounts through his firm so I warned all of them! It could've been any one of them that ordered the hit!"_ Paulings' recorded voice said over the device speakers. Anne sighed in frustration.

"Ya mean we went through all this and he isn't even the bastard that's done in your ma-n-da?! Ya realize that the next step would be goin' against the Gotham mafia! That's even more suicidal than goin' up against the cops!" Anne said but Cassandra wasn't listening, instead her eyes were fixated on the recording device as the station wagon rolled back towards Saint Jerome's.

* * *

 **9:12 PM  
Lancashire Tenements Apartment Complex – The Home of P. Paulings.**

" _-gangsters were paying me under the table to warn them about GCPD investigations! I didn't know which of them had accounts through his firm so I warned all of them! It could've been any one of them that ordered the hit!"_ a surveillance bug recording of Paulings' confession played as Commissioner Gordon and a pair of suits from Internal Affairs stood in the middle of Paulings' living room, Paulings himself forcibly sat in a chair in the middle between the two suits while GCPD officers canvased the area. Gordon clicked off the recording device.

"Well Pete, looks like you've just made my first night back on the job a hell of an easy one. With this recording we've got you for corruption as well as several other charges. Gentlemen, he's all yours." Gordon said to the IA Agents who pulled the handcuffed Paulings from his chair and out towards the door. Paulings didn't say a thing as he was dragged out the door and Gordon simply stood at watched. As soon as Paulings was out the door, Gordon picked up two pieces of paper that had been placed in clear plastic evidence bags awaiting processing by the CSI technicians. He glanced towards the open balcony door and could see a faint movement outside. Gordon calmly walked out towards the balcony where he knew Batman was waiting.

"Good to see you on the job again, Jim." Batman said as Gordon shrugged, reaching into his coat pocket for his pipe.

"Did you take care of Robin and Nightwing?" Jim asked with his pipe clinched between his teeth while searching for his lighter.

"That's my business. What's the situation here?" Batman asked as Jim looked at him curiously.

"You're asking me? I should be thanking you. You interrogated Paulings almost an hour ago didn't you?" Gordon asked. He could tell by the expression on Batman's face that he was confused.

"No. I just got here." Batman said as Jim looked at him curiously.

"Huh. That's strange. Paulings just testified that his confession was beaten out of him by you." Gordon said as Batman stepped forward.

"Then we have a copycat on our hands." Batman said as he glanced down towards the floor, kneeling down to see something on the floor, a shoeprint. Jim moved out of his way as Batman's cowl scanners kicked on.

"Someone's been here recently and it wasn't me. The shoeprint is too small. More importantly, it's a commercial brand shoe and I only wear shoes like this when I'm undercover. These are a size seven, women's hiking boot made by Dini and Son's Adventure Outfitters." Batman said as he turned towards the lock on the open sliding glass door.

"Remind me to subpoena your scanning equipment some time." Jim mumbled.

"My cowl sensors only enhanced the image. The brand logo and shoe size was printed on the bottom of the boot." Batman said, still examining the lock.

"This lock was picked, using a hairpin and a screwdriver from an eyeglass repair kit." Batman reported.

"Alright, I'll bite. How's that?" Jim asked, the cowl scanner deactivating, Batman pointing to the lock.

"Two small flakes of dandruff are caught in the tumblers. The screwdriver left a couple scratch marks on the side of the lock consistent with a small Philips head screwdriver. Only one from an eyeglass repair kit would be small enough to leave marks that small." Batman said as he managed to use a small black tool to scrape the flakes of dandruff out of the lock and into a small baggy he produced from his utility belt.

"So let me see if I've got this straight, someone breaks in using civilian grade tools, manages to sneak in here dressed like a bat, and get one of the most corrupt officers in the GCPD since Commissioner Loeb to confess to being a mafia spy?" Gordon said as Batman looked towards him.

"Do you have any leads?" Batman asked, Gordon giving a half shrug in return.

"Sure. Batgirl." He replied.

"Not possible." Batman stated plainly.

"Why not? We've got evidence to suggest it was a woman that broke in here. Paulings said it was someone dressed as a bat, just like you. And you did say that you forced your team to retire so I imagine that meant confiscating their high-tech equipment which left Batgirl to resort to whatever she could buy on her budget." Gordon said but Batman merely looked towards him.

"You're going to have to believe me on this one, Jim, when I say you're wrong. It's impossible for Batgirl to have done this." Batman said.

"And why's that?" Gordon asked. Batman was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"You're just going to have to take my word for it that it isn't Batgirl. This is an imposter. Someone who could get herself killed very easily." Batman replied as Gordon sighed, holding up the two bagged pages.

"Alright, if you say so. But listen, this Batgirl was investigating an old murder case from eight years ago. Used these to interrogate Paulings." He said as he handed Batman the pages, Batman looking the papers over.

"I know this woman. Regina Cain, the opera singer." Batman said as Jim took a drag of his pipe.

"Yep. The man's her husband Hilton. Both were murdered eight years ago in an alleyway." Jim said as Batman froze. It was all too familiar to him.

"Eight years ago. What was Hilton's profession?" Batman asked.

"Accountant. Well, unwitting mob accountant according to Paulings's confession. Paulings ratted him out to one of the gangsters when he got wise and wanted to run to the cops for protection." Jim explained, Batman looking contemplative.

"There were three major gangsters in power eight years ago. Carmine Falcone, the Penguin, and Rupert Thorne. Thorne was usurped by the Great White Shark three years ago but that doesn't rule him out." Batman said aloud.

"Any one of which wouldn't think twice about putting a bullet or two into anyone dressed like a bat. That kid's in danger." Jim said, looking into his pocket for his lighter to relight his pipe but when he turned back, Batman was gone.

* * *

 **9:32  
Hyperion Apartment Complex – The Home of Barbara Gordon.**

Barbara was seated on the couch, biting down on a screwdriver between her teeth while she worked to adjust the brakes on the left wheel. As she tinkered with the wheelchair, she felt a breeze blow through the apartment and knew right away who it was and spat the screwdriver onto the cushion next to her.

"I'm not exactly talking to you right now, Bruce." Barbara said, continuing to work on the chair.

"You don't have a choice right now, Barbara." Batman said as he stepped around to face her.

"Oh I most certainly do." Barbara argued defiantly before Bruce slammed a scanned copy of the interrogation pages used during the Paulings interrogation onto Barbara's coffee table.

"These were found at the scene of a B&E on the home of ex-Detective Peter Paulings. He was interrogated by someone he thought was me, but the evidence suggests it's a female." Batman said as Barbara paused, looking confused but not at him.

"But that's impossible! I can't even get out of my chair! How could I possibly have broken into Paulings's apartment?!" Barbara asked.

"That's what I'd like to know. I've excluded you as the actual perpetrator due to your condition, but that doesn't exclude you from being involved. You could have instructed someone in how to commit the act." Batman said but Barbara shook her head.

"Believe me Bruce, it wasn't me! But if you're saying there's another batgirl running around, shouldn't you be out trying to confiscate her cowl too like you did Dick and Tim?!" Barbara asked.

"I'm trying to keep them alive!" Batman argued but Barbara shoved her chair to the side and slammed her hands against the coffee table.

"You're trying to assuage your own misconceived guilt over my getting shot!" Barbara yelled back, silencing Bruce.

"For God's sakes, Bruce! We all knew the risks when we joined up with you and this had nothing to do with me being batgirl. You know it, you just don't want to accept it. Barbara Gordon was targeted by the Joker. Not because she was Batgirl. But because she was the Commissioner's daughter. Nothing more." Barbara said as Batman patiently listened. Barbara stared at him for a moment in silence before he quietly picked up the papers and headed for the window.

* * *

 **9:32 PM  
Saint Jerome's Orphanage  
The Room of Cassandra Cain**

Casandra sat on the edge of her bed, looking through some information on her phone. Her room was rather Spartan in terms of furnishings. Only a bed, a desk, a chair, a footlocker at the foot of her bed, and a small table that functioned as her nightstand.

Anne had gotten her some information from the GCPD Database on the prominent gangsters and hitmen that were active eight years ago. There were three at the very top of the list: Carmine Falcone, Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. the Penguin, and Rupert Thorne. Thorne's profile had a link to his obituary from three years ago. The Police were unable to pin Thorne's death on any of the other gangsters so the case was cold but that didn't matter to her. Thorne could just as easily have been the one responsible for her parents' murder. Another link on Thorne's profile led to the profile on his successor: Warren White, a.k.a. the Great White Shark. She didn't dismiss White either as he could easily have been the gunman. She quietly put her phone away, her list of suspects now up to 3 as she stood up. There was a pair of chain connected pullup handles dangling from the ceiling. She quietly began doing a series of pullups, hefting herself up off the floor, putting more strength into her arms as her mind drifted.

She was closer than ever before to discovering her parents' killer and finally bringing the man to justice. Now three individuals could have arranged the hit. She only needed some way of locating the criminals responsible…

And at the moment, there was only one she could locate at all…

Oswald Cobblepot…

The Penguin

* * *

 **End Chapter 4**


	5. Case Breaker

**April 4th  
10:02 PM  
Wayne Manor – Batcave**

Bruce stood unmasked in the Batcave, examining the papers that the unknown "batgirl" had used to interrogate Detective Paulings. He'd removed them from their evidence bags and was performing an analysis of the papers themselves for any clues as to who it was. However, his investigation hit a surprising turn.

"No fingerprints on the paper except Paulings' own." Bruce muttered to himself in thought. He then headed to the computer, sitting down and accessing his extensive database. He began running a search on the Cain Murders. Batman had never been involved with the investigation at the time since the crime occurred during a crime spree by the Joker so it was, unfortunately, one of the cases that got overlooked and passed to the GCPD. But now there was renewed interest in the case with the appearance of this mystery Batgirl. Batman quietly accessed the records on the Cain family and quickly found something that made him pause with a pang of grim nostalgia. Under Hilton Cain's list of known relatives was one specific line that stood out to Batman.

Daughter: Cassandra Cain.

Two parents had been gunned down, likely in front of their only child. He quickly searched for Cassandra's current status but came up with "Unknown" and that her last recorded sighting was eight years ago, two days following the murder of her parents. The fact that she'd disappeared and that all digital traces of her since then had effectively been erased was suspicious to the Batman. He sat back in thought for a moment before an idea occurred to him. He leaned forward as he started a new search in the Bruce Wayne Foundation Database.

The Bruce Wayne Foundation had been started by Bruce as one of his first acts upon returning to Gotham as a charity to help children who had lost their parents to the criminals of Gotham by offering room and board, grief counseling, education, and even college scholarships. For some cases though, such as the children of prominent criminals or gangsters that are killed or incarcerated, it allowed the orphans to enter the programs under assumed aliases to avoid detection by the criminal element. One of these orphans included the daughter of Clue Master but that was just an example. For Batman however, this database allowed him to try and track these children, knowing that it was almost the exact same circumstances which led to his becoming the Batman.

And he feared that it had happened again.

He searched for applicants admitted to the foundation within a month's span of the Cain Murders and sure enough he found what he was looking for. An application for a Cassandra O'Patrick, residing at Saint Jerome's. Filing this information away for the time being, Batman turned his attention to the crime that the Batgirl was investigating.

Penguin, Carmine Falcone, and Rupert Thorne were the three big name gangsters in power at the time of the Cain Murders. Each of them vying for power over Gotham City's criminal underworld. Batman quietly knew he would need to examine the evidence of the crime but there were no records on file. Batman didn't need to guess why though. They simply weren't in the computer. The GCPD hadn't started digitizing their records yet when the crime was committed so all the files and evidence were still stored on site in the GCPD Evidence Lockers. Preferring not to break in, Batman rose from his chair and pulled his cowl up over his head, heading for the batmobile.

* * *

 **10:54 PM  
GCPD Headquarters – The Office of Commissioner James Gordon.**

"Looks like we're on the same trail here, Batman. The circumstances surrounding Paulings' arrest has given renewed interest to the Cain Murders." Jim said as he set down the box containing the Cain Murder evidence and case files, freshly retrieved from evidence storage. Batman stood near Gordon's desk, and quietly approached the box as Jim opened it. While Gordon put on a pair of rubber gloves, Batman reached into the box and pulled out the case files, flipping through them.

"What are you looking for?" Jim asked as Batman looked the files over.

"Was the gun recovered?" Batman asked but Jim shook his head.

"No but we were able to link bullets recovered from the vics as being fired by a gun used in twelve separate murders with this one. We're looking for a nine-mil, semi-automatic." Jim replied. Batman then spotted something about the box that stood out. It had been haphazardly filled. Most of the Police Evidence Boxes were neatly arranged. This one had its contents scattered within the box. He also saw something that he didn't want Jim to see. A single long black hair.

"I'll need a list of those cases." Batman said as Jim gave a nod.

"I'll get it." He replied, stepping out and leaving Batman alone with the evidence. Batman quietly plucked the hair from the box, putting it into a small evidence bag of his own before pocketing it. He then began looking at the evidence on the case.

The officer assigned to the case was Detective Flass who was one of the last remnants of the corrupt Loeb administration. Flass himself was a decent enough detective but morally loose. Flass had been forcibly retired four years ago following an Internal Affairs investigation. He would take bribes but wouldn't always hold up his end of the bargain which made him a target by several of Gotham's Gangsters. He also wasn't above using his badge to his advantage. When it came to his cases though, his notes were generally reliable. Unfortunately his notes could shed very little light on the situation.

According to the notes, the Cain's had eaten together at Luigi's Restaurant and departed for home mere minutes before the shooting and there were no witnesses on the scene. The Cain's apartment was later reported to have been broken into and ransacked before being torched. Flass had a solid alibi so he was excluded as a suspect otherwise Batman would've suspected him anyway. There was something suspicious though in that according to Batman's files, the last sighting of Cassandra Cain was two days after the murders but the Police files still listed her as missing and yet Missing Persons hadn't posted any new information in eight years which implied that her current status was known but not public knowledge. It did fit with the application for the Bruce Wayne Foundation though so Cassandra's location was being kept a secret by the police. Roughly twenty minutes had passed before Jim returned with a printout of the cases that Batman had asked for.

"Here we go. All the cases connected to the gun used in the Cain Murders." Jim said, Batman taking the list and looking it over.

"I'll need to investigate these cases. Knowing who the victims were might shed some light on who arranged their murder." Batman said, pocketing the list.

"Was there anything in here that might be of use to your investigation?" Jim asked as Batman turned away, heading for the window, looking outside with a look of contemplation.

"I can't say for certain if the new Batgirl will strike again tonight or where. I suspect her next move will be against the criminal leaders in Gotham, specifically Penguin, Great White Shark, and Falcone as she might suspect the three of the crime. Has Organized Crime reported any unusual activity lately?" Batman asked.

"I can find out. I'll signal you once I have something." Jim replied as Batman gave a nod.

"We'll follow our own paths on this Jim." Batman said before leaping out the window.

* * *

 **11:00 PM  
Iceberg Lounge**

Cassandra had snuck out without Anne's knowledge, disguised in her Batgirl costume again and had made her way through the city to the Iceberg Lounge, the publically known headquarters for the Penguin and the front for many of his criminal dealings. Her plan was to infiltrate and try to find some evidence to indicate which of the gangsters might've arranged the hit on the Cain family. She was anxious to avoid a direct confrontation as the Penguin wasn't going to simply surrender his secrets to her under interrogation as it would typically take the Batman to get any information out of him. She was crouched down on the roof of a building overlooking an alleyway, watching one of the side doors into the lounge. There was only a single guard stationed outside in a suit. She could see an Uzi tucked under man's suit which the average club owner would be seen as overkill to keep out sneak-ins.

She was waiting for an opportunity to ambush one of the Penguin's men or for the guard to go on break so she could sneak in. She was surprised however when four plain clothes men came out from inside, heading further into the alleyway, all armed with pistols or SMGs and one of them had a ski mask sticking partially out of their pocket. Cassandra quietly knew this meant a robbery and started to slink along the rooftops, following them while they listened in. Her advanced hearing enabled her to listen to their conversation with ease.

"-sure the job is good?" "Good as gold. The guy's offerin' almost twice as much as what Penguin's payin' us." "So why you tellin' us?" "'Cause there's a special finder's fee for bringin' in more guys. Fifty bucks a man." "So you're gonna get…" there was a pause as the goon tried to count "…a lot of money for bringin' us onboard?" "Yeah. Don't worry, I'll split it evenly with ya." The goon said as hey all climbed into an old refrigerator truck and a sedan and started them up. Cassandra quickly seized the opportunity to leap down behind the truck, climbing into the back just as it started to roll out, bound for an unknown location. What neither Cassandra nor the goons knew was that their departure and Cassandra's climbing aboard the truck had been witnessed by the Batman.

The two vehicles traveled through Gotham for nearly ten minutes towards the docks. As the truck approached a warehouse building, they stopped. Cassandra could hear men interrogating the drivers and knew she had to hide. Outside, two shotgun armed goons approached the back doors of the truck and opened them, pointing their guns inside but saw nothing. They finally closed the doors and waved to the guards near the front, waving them through. On top of the truck, Cassandra was crouched down, riding on the roof as the truck as it rolled into an old warehouse that hadn't been used in years. Inside the warehouse were at least a dozen men, all armed and loading trucks up with large cardboard boxes. The warehouse was dimly lit but there was something about the men's clothes which seemed confusing to her. Some of them wore clothes that had a familiar Penguin motif, others wore grey clothes with a shark fin painted in white on them, and the rest wore everyday clothes but had a red carnation in their lapels or pinned to their shirts or coats. The men were all wearing the hallmarks of the Penguin, the Great White Shark, and the Falcone Crime Family's goons and henchmen. There also seemed to be some tension between them as they met each other with cold stares and sometimes would subtly flash a weapon at each other but no bullets flew.

Finally the truck came to a stop and Cassandra quickly leapt onto a nearby support beam near the truck and scrambled up to a dark catwalk overlooking the warehouse floor, observing the operation in silence. The men were loading large cardboard boxes loaded with an assortment of plush dolls and supplementing them with suitcases and large weapon crates, making sure to hide them under a layer of plush dolls. The crates and suitcases were being removed from a large shipping container. One of the men accidently dropped a suitcase which fell open, revealing at least four pistols, all resting inside of packing foam. All eyes turned towards the offending goon, glaring at him. The goon sheepishly shrugged but as he stooped over to pick up the suitcase, he suddenly convulsed with a cry of pain, along with a few more convulsions before he fell to the ground, dead and bleeding from several fresh bullet holes in him. Cassandra watched in alarm, almost instantly recognizing what had happened. Sure enough, from behind the shipping container emerged a pair of masked men in white clothes and carrying silenced pistols. But what Cassandra saw on their heads made her shake with fear and alarm.

They each wore black balaclavas with a white skull printed on them.

Cassandra's mind immediately flashed back to that fateful day as her parents were murdered by a man wearing the exact same mask.

"Your instructions were, 'handle with care.' Clearly, he did not follow instructions." One of the masked men said as a few more similarly masked men carted off the dead man's body. Cassandra was now convinced that she had stumbled onto a huge break in her case. She could tell by the voice that the masked man was not the same as the one who killed her parents but he was most undoubtedly connected. She watched as the boxes full of guns and plushies were loaded onto trucks, each truck bearing the branding common to the Falcone Family, the Great White Shark, or the Penguin but none bore the skull symbol. Cassandra watched as the two masked goons made their way towards the other end of the warehouse, away from where all the goons were working, towards the old warehouse office. At first glance it appeared that the office was dark but Cassandra could see some light coming through cracks in the windows, indicating that the windows had been boarded up from the inside.

The goons made their way into the office through the front door, throwing light while the door was open. Cassandra snuck down off of the catwalk and crouched down in a dark corner near the wall, listening into the office.

"The shipments will be ready by dawn, sir." One of the goons reported.

"And do the men suspect their parts in the plan?" a woman's voice asked authoritatively.

"Not that we could tell." The second goon replied.

"And what of our invitations for tonight? Have we received the RSVPs?" the woman asked.

"We have. Penguin, Falcone, and White have all replied. They sound interested in hearing about the offer. They've agreed to meet us at the old Steel Mill." A third goon replied.

"Good. For now, keep an eye on our hired hands. Don't let them get too curious." The woman instructed.

"Boss?" one of them asked. After a beat Cassandra saw the light from the door opening appear followed by three masked goons, all heading towards where the men were loading the trucks. Cassandra remained hidden as the door closed. She was about to move when she heard the woman start to speak again.

"Sir, we are on schedule. The Takeover is ready to proceed assuming the hired hands don't get too curious." The woman said. Cassandra could hear the groans of a chair inside.

"Because we all know what happens when the cat gets too curious." A man's voice replied but this one Cassandra recognized.

" _You stuck your nose too deep into somewhere it shouldn't have gone, Mr. Cain. You know what happens when the cat gets too curious."_ The Cain Murderer had said that night and his voice was exactly the same as the man in the office. Cassandra shook with astonishment. The man who had murdered her parents was within mere feet of her only separated by a few inches of aluminum plating and black spray-painted plywood. Cassandra heard a door open and then close inside the office, indicating an exterior door. She quickly raced towards another door near her positon but when she reached the door, she saw a black limousine pull away from the warehouse. Cassandra backed away in horror as she watched the man she'd been hunting for the past eight years slip away into the dead of night.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly backed into something hard. She turned and saw a metal ladder propped up against the wall but when she bumped into it, it started to fall over, hitting the ground with a loud crash. Suddenly all eyes were towards the darkened corner of the warehouse. One of the masked goons pulled a flashlight which immediately lit up the corner, exposing Cassandra in her batgirl costume.

"It's the Bat-freak!" "Kill him!" the goons yelled, Cassandra quickly taking off running as the masked goons opened fire, Cassandra just managing to keep ahead of their line of fire. The other goons started to reach for the crated guns but another of the masked goons stopped them.

"Drivers! Get the shipments out of here! The rest of you, grab a weapon!" the goon ordered. The various trucks were quickly shut and left quickly, racing out of the warehouse while the rest of the goons grabbed guns from the crates but the guns weren't loaded. Some of them simply grabbed crowbars, iron bars, or baseball bats that they'd brought with them and started running for Cassandra. Cass had managed to evade their bullet fire until one grazed her leg, causing her to stumble forward and fall to the floor, the goons quickly surrounding her.

"Now we got ya, Batman!" "Hey, that ain't Batman!" "It's just some punk wearing hockey pads!" the goons said as Cassandra glared defiantly at them. However, as the goons stared at her, Cassandra could hear a strange thumping sound coming from behind the group of goons in front of her. She looked down between their legs and saw the masked goons falling to the ground while a pair of black boots and black cape moved amongst them.

"Come 'ere!" a crowbar armed goon yelled before there was a sudden eruption of smoke from around Cassandra, the goons blinded by the smoke.

"GAH! What the hell?! *cough-cough* What's going-OMPH!" one of them grunted as more of the strange thumping sounds echoed from within the smoke along with grunts and groans from the goons. Cassandra was left confused until the smoke finally cleared, leaving a scattered mewling pile of unconscious goons lying on the ground. Standing over them was the one figure that Cassandra didn't need help identifying…

…The Batman.

* * *

 **End Chapter 5**


	6. Reasons

Batman and Cassandra were staring at each other in the warehouse, all of the goons rendered unconscious by the Batman, leaving only the two alone. Cassandra didn't know what would happen until finally Batman approached her, throwing an arm around her and then firing his grapple gun straight up, the two suddenly getting yanked into the air. Cassandra instinctively held on as they got launched into the air for a few long seconds before landing flat on the roof. Batman had brought them safely through an old broken skylight in the ceiling. Cassandra backed away as soon as Batman had released her.

"Cassandra Cain." Batman said simply, surprising Cassandra, her eyes widened in absolute astonishment that the Batman knew who she was.

"I know you can't talk so I'll do all the talking. I know you're investigating the murder of your parents. Hilton and Regina Cain killed by an unknown gunman eight years ago. I know you roughed up an ex-Cop to get your information. I don't know how close you are to solving it, but you need to let the police take care of it. Hang up the cowl. It's too dangerous. Now come on, I'll take you back to Saint Jerome's." Batman said but Cassandra narrowed her gaze and removed her mask, stuffing it partially in her belt before signing her answer.

" _I found him! The killer! He was just here! I was so close!"_ she signed, Batman looking at her with minor surprise.

"You're sure?" he asked as she nodded.

" _I know his voice. I know his speech. I hear it every night in my mind. I know it's him."_ She replied as Batman took a breath. He knew it would be hard to dissuade her now but his might drifted back to the images of the maimed Barbara Gordon, and worse, the sight of a crumpled and bloodied Jason Todd after the Joker had beaten him to death with a crowbar, remembering the tragedy that had befallen both of them.

"I'll find him. Leave him to me, Cassandra. Go home and never put on the cowl again. If you do, I'll report you to the police or I'll have to deal with you myself. I've already lost two of my own allies because I allowed them to wear a mask and fight beside me. I'm not going to make the same mistake with you, Cassandra." Batman said but Cassandra wasn't budging.

" _Too close! Too close!"_ she replied.

"That's enough Cassandra, now come on, let's go." Batman said, reaching for her hand when she suddenly grabbed his arm and skillfully shifted her weight and threw him onto the floor before running off, leaping off the side of the warehouse and managing to grab onto a drain pipe which groaned and bent under her weight, falling to the ground, taking Cassandra with it but she emerged unscathed. She started running towards an alleyway. She then heard the sound of something swirling towards her through the air and quickly ducked down just in time for a set of bolas to fly overhead, just missing her and hitting a metal post ahead of her. She ran into the alleyway but her ears picked up another sound, the sound of ruffling fabric overhead and getting closer. She quickly jumped back just in time for Batman to land in front of her. The Dark Knight spun towards her, raising his hands in a fighting posture but Cassandra did the same.

Cassandra took the first swing, Batman countering but she managed to evade his counter just narrowly before retaliating with a punch to the arm and then bringing her leg around to kick him across the face. Batman was dazed which allowed her to slip free. She tried to karate kick him but he caught her foot with both hands before spinning her to the ground. He tried to pick her up but she kicked free and up onto her feet, a slight trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. Batman had a bruise forming on his cheek from when she kicked him. He hadn't anticipated a 98 pound fifteen-year-old girl to be so well trained. This in mind, he decided not to harm her further and when she moved to make another strike, he flared his cape at her, causing her to stagger back, shielding herself. She heard a loud hiss as green smoke filled the alley. She quickly began feeling dizzy and drowsy, staggering and struggling to stay conscious. The last thing she saw before passing out, was Batman with a gasmask on his face while the last thing she heard was the sound of a car approaching.

* * *

 **11:55 PM  
Hyperion Apartment Complex – The Apartment of Barbara Gordon**

"Hey guys, come on in." Barbara said as she showed Tim and Dick into her apartment.

"Thanks for seeing us, Babs. I know it's late." Dick said but Barbara scoffed.

"Late for some people, Dick, but not us bats, right?" she asked as the two sat down on the living room couch, Tim looking around the apartment.

"Nice place here Barbara. Imagine Dick's seen a lot of it already." Tim said before getting smacked in the face with a throw pillow but he was still smirking when the pillow was pulled away.

"How about you go look at the front door again from the outside?" Dick asked as Tim dangled his cellphone between his fingers.

"Took pictures. I'm good." He replied as Dick rolled his eyes.

"So I heard that the hack tool didn't work, huh?" Barbara asked.

"Didn't work fast enough. Bruce got back before we could get through door number four." Dick said but Barbara merely smiled and wheeled herself towards her laptop on the dining room table.

"That's too bad. I think you'll get in the next time though. So what can you guys tell me about this new Batgirl that I've heard about?" Barbara asked but the two ex-Robins looked at each other in confusion.

"So the rumors are true. We heard mention of a new Batgirl around. First thought it was you. Did you have a hand in this?" Tim asked but Barbara shook her head while working on something at her laptop.

"None. This must be some new kid that's put on the cowl. Whether she knows I've been taken out of action or she's something else, I just hope Bruce talks her down." Barbara said, earning a surprised look from Dick.

"You actually want Bruce to stop her?" Dick asked.

"Absolutely. She's inexperienced or she's a rank amateur. Bruce needs to reign the rookies in before they get killed. It's different with us though. We were trained, we practiced, Bruce showed us what to do and how to do it. We know nothing about this batgirl and she likely knows nothing about what she's doing." Barbara explained, the two boys nodding in agreement.

"Yeah you've got a point, like usual Babs." Dick mumbled.

"I usually do. Now, let's see what we can do about the batcave security." Barbara said as Tim and Dick looked at each other, confused.

"Uh, Bruce escalated the security. We'd need someone stronger than Bane to break through some of those security features." Dick commented but Barbara shot them a smirk, the reflection of her laptop screen reflecting back towards them in her glasses.

"Bruce deactivated the security door while the hack tool was still plugged in, right?" she asked as Dick gave a nod.

"Yeah, so?" he asked as Barbara turned the laptop around, showing lines of coding.

"This is the code to a special program I wrote for the hack tool. I've been working on it almost day and night after I heard Bruce banned you from the Bat Cave. The hack tool allows me to wirelessly remote into the Bat Cave computer through the data ports at the security doors and deactivate the security itself. But it's also a key logger. Every keystroke Bruce made to deactivate the security doors got recorded into the tool and transmitted to me. In other words, we don't have to hack the security now that we've got the password." Barbara said as Tim and Dick looked at her in astonishment.

"Alright, but can you remotely hack the lockers with our gear?" Dick asked as Barbara's smirk got wider.

"You don't understand. With the code I was able to get, I can unlock pretty much the entire cave system! Hell I could even unlock the boots on Bruce's original Batmobile." Barbara said as the two grinned and started for the door.

"We'll be in the cave!" Tim said but a batarang flew across in front of them.

"Whoa-whoa boys! I'm coming with you. Help me to the car." Barbara said as the guys both smirked at each other.

* * *

 **April 4th  
12:13 AM  
Saint Jerome's – The room of Sister Anne O'Patrick.**

Anne was having a restless night. She was worried that the recent break in Cassandra's case would lead her to do something rash. Finally she decided that she had to check on Cassandra and started to get out of bed. When she reached for the light however, she was confronted by the sight of a tall Dark Knight who quickly silenced her.

"Anne O'Patrick?" Batman asked as Anne gave a bewildered nod.

"Ya gave me a start, Batman. I figured ya'd be comin' around sooner or later." Anne said as Batman looked down at her gently.

"I know what Cassandra's been doing. I just rescued her from several thugs that wouldn't have hesitated to kill her had they been given a chance. She was injured but I've treated her injuries. She's resting in her room for now." Batman said as Anne breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank ye kindly Batman. I knew that it'd take you to talk some sense into her." Anne said as Batman took a step closer.

"I'm impressed by her skill in the field. She caught me off guard with her martial arts skills. Who trained her?" Batman asked, Anne smiling proudly.

"A little of official instruction, a little self-education. She got one of those special sponsorships from the Bruce Wayne Foundation and she used it to enroll in several self-defense classes. Kung-fu, Jujitsu, karate, tai-chi…she has black belts in all four. She's a very fast learner. I think part of it has to do with her inability to speak. With silence forced upon her, she has more capacity to watch and listen. She's a very analytic one." Anne explained as Batman glanced at the walls. Like Cassandra's room, Anne's room was sparcely furnished. On the nightstand was a photograph of Cassandra and Anne at the Gotham Fun Fair, while another was of a handsome man with fiery red hair reclining on a seat in a clear glass cabin overlooking the Thames River in London, looking towards Big Ben. The picture had been taken from onboard the London Eye.

"I thought Nuns were supposed to cast off all romantic ties as they were married to the church." Batman said as Anne gave a sad nod.

"Aye that be true. But ye canna be married to someone who ain't alive." Anne said as Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out a folded sheet of paper with lines of code printed on it. One line of code had been circled, the word "AnneBonnieLass" having been circled respectively.

"The GCPD reported that someone hacked into their databases recently and that the hacker used an IP scrambler to cover their tracks. I unscrambled it and traced it back to here. I also examined the code used to infiltrate and linked it to a known hacker known as Anne Bonnie Lass. That's you, isn't it?" Batman asked although it was more of a statement than a question. Anne sighed and looked at the photograph of the man on the wall.

"Aye that's me. T'ain't nary a point in arguin' with ye Batman. My real name is Bonnie O'Patrick. I used to be part of the hacker group known as Irish Anonymous. We weren't connected with the hacktivist group Anonymous but we shared the same goals, only more focused to a specific region: Ireland." Anne explained.

"I've heard of them. They were all arrested by Interpol eight years ago for leaking classified Mi5 documents which led to several deaths and assassinations by the Irish Mafia. So how are you here?" Batman asked. Anne looked saddened by the question.

"I dinna' escape Interpol, but rather Interpol let me go. Our initial goal with I.A. was to push for Irish Independence from the U.K. Much like what the Scots attempt every few years. One day, we manage to hack into a secure Mi5 Database. It was a proof of concept run to prove we could access their network, but while we're browsin' through their files, one of our group says to copy down a series of files pertainin' to their ongoin' organized crime investigations within Ireland. I just went along with it, not thinkin' much of it at the time. Later I heard of a few murders and assassinations within Ireland, the victims all being named in the files we stole. That's when I learned that one of our group was the son of one of the most dangerous mobsters in Ireland and had used our group to find out what the police had on his operations." Anne explained, clearly upset and regretful of her past. She then continued.

"I turned traitor, Batman. I wanted Irish Independence, but not at the cost of people's lives. A bloodless coup. People died because of what we did, Batman. Entire families, Batman. Men, women, children, all killed because of a few lines of code. Most of them never even had any knowledge that what they'd done was for the Mafia. I had to do somethin', ta make it right somehow. So I got all the information on my colleagues and turned them in to Interpol. After that, Mi5 gave me immunity and smuggled us out of the country." Anne explained, Batman looking at her.

"Us?" he asked.

"My husband and I were involved in Irish Anonymous. But after I turned on the mafia, they put out a hit for us. Interpol arranged for us to flee the country in secret but I found out that my husband had been killed by the mafia after I got to Gotham. I changed my name and went off the grid. I intended to stay that way but then I met Cassandra. Her drive, her motivation, her anxiousness to help put her parents to rest, motivated me to do somethin' to help her. I used some money I'd digitally stolen from the mafia to finance her investigation. Part of my own vengeance against the Mafia for their murderin'." Anne explained as Batman listened intently. She then looked at the Batman.

"Do you know who killed her parents? Do you know who did it?" Anne asked but Batman looked away.

"No. But I think Cassandra does." Batman said as Anne sighed heavily with worry.

"You mean she might've found a clue?" Anne asked.

"I think she might have found him." Batman replied as he reached behind him and pulled one of the skull printed balaclavas inside of a clear plastic evidence bag, showing it to Anne.

"That looks like the mask Cassandra said the killer wore…is that-?" she asked reluctantly.

"No but I took it off of one of several criminals guarding a warehouse. It doesn't match any known gang profiles." Batman replied, Anne putting a hand to her head in worry.

"I've always tried to protect her, but she refuses to listen. I dunna know if she intends to murder this man, let him live and face justice, or what. But I know this, Batman, her heart ain't made o' gold. It's diamond. New girls, when they arrive, they face all sorts of mean treatment from the older girls. But Cassandra, she never once shed a tear when she first arrived. She was as solid as a rock. When new girls arrived, she'd stand up to the bullies. She'd protect the new ones. At first she'd get a few scrapes for her trouble but over time, all it'd take is one look from her and the mean ones would crumble." Anne said as Batman picked up the photograph of her and Cassandra at the fair while Anne continued.

"I remember, one girl got Saint Jerome's medal stolen by one of the others. Cassandra examined the scene and calmly walked up to one of the older girls, held out her hand, and the girl surrendered it. She's smart as a whip, that girl." Anne explained.

"Hasn't she had anyone want to adopt her?" Batman asked but Anne frowned sadly and shook her head.

"Plenty but she always says no. The Father thinks she might be considerin' takin' the orders like I have, but I think she canna accept any new parents until she puts her old ones to rest." Anne replied as Batman put the picture down.

"I've taken up enough of your time." Batman said before turning away.

"Nay, ye haven't. I need to check up on her anyway." Anne said, putting her slippers on, leading Batman out into the hall. Cassandra's room was just across from Anne's at the end of the hall and the furthest from the stairs but as Anne opened the door, they felt a cool breeze blowing through the room. Inside they found that the bed was empty, horrifying Anne.

"Oh Mother Mary! She's scarpered!" Anne exclaimed, spinning around to face the Batman who was staring up at the ceiling with a scowl. Anne followed his gaze and saw, painted on the ceiling in yellow glow-in-the-dark paint was the Batsignal.

"Why would she have this painted on her ceiling?" Batman asked as Anne took a breath.

"She said it was the first thing she saw after her parents' murder. She says it gave her hope." Anne replied as Batman turned on the lights, stepping into the room as he noticed a map of Gotham on her desk and her smartphone. Batman quickly picked up the phone and plugged in a small device on the micro-usb port, unlocking the phone in only a few seconds which brought up her phone's web browser, left open on a search for "Gotham City Steel Mills." Batman took one look at the map and then ran out the door.

…

Out on the streets of Gotham, running atop rooftops, scaling fences, and running through the back alleys of Gotham City, Cassandra ran with fervent determination, her mask on.

" _And what of our invitations for tonight? Have we received the RSVPs?"_

" _We have. Penguin, Falcone, and White have all replied. They sound interested in hearing about the offer. They've agreed to meet us at the old Steel Mill."_

This was what was racing through Cassandra's mind. Tonight her parents' killer was to meet with the Penguin, Carmine Falcone, and Warren White at the old Sionus Steel Mill and this would likely be her only opportunity to unmask him and face him for the first time in eight years. She was only a few blocks away from Saint Jerome's when she saw one of the trucks from the warehouse stopped at a stop light. Making sure she wasn't seen, she snuck over and climbed onto the roof of the truck just as it started rolling again. She rode on the back of the truck as it headed for the steel mill, arriving at the old mill within roughly ten minutes and that was with running a few stop signs and traffic lights but luckily the streets of Gotham were largely empty that time of night anyway, especially in Gotham's Industrial district.

The truck came to a stop just outside of the mill, a pair of armed goons checking the back of the truck to make sure there weren't any stowaways. They just never thought to check the roof though and waved the truck through, the truck driving into one of the mill's loading areas where a number of the masked goons were patrolling. Cassandra saw a low beam approaching and quickly leapt onto it, scrambling to the top unseen before hurrying across the beams to find a better vantage point. She looked around but saw only the goons, and no sign of the three invited criminal kingpins, at least not yet. She did see one thing that convinced her that her quarry was there: The same white limo that she'd seen leaving the warehouse.

As she sat crouched, she finally spotted three sets of the masked goons approach three separate entrances to the mill, each opening the doors to allow three sets of armed goons, each dressed in the attire of one of the three crime lords, to enter the room. They were soon followed by their respective employers…

Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin, his irremovable glass bottle turned monocle shining in the light of the old work lights overhead, a cigar clinched between his fingers while he carried his trademark umbrella like a cane, hobbling into the room.

Carmine Falcone, elegantly dressed in a black suit and tie, a red carnation in his lapel and slicked black hair.

And finally Warren White, the Great White Shark, his hideously deformed chalk white face with no lips, no ears, a hole where his nose should be, and filed down teeth while wearing a grey sharkskin suit and trousers, red dress shirt, and white tie. The crime lords regarded each other with contempt and a clear yet unspoken desire to murder each other.

"I thought this was an invitation only affair. No old money and no gutless fish allowed." Penguin squawked with a coy grin.

"You forget, Cobblepot, that sharks make easy prey out of flightless birds." Warren White hissed, making a grin towards him with his remaining cheek muscles.

"Gentlemen, enough. Clearly we're here to talk business, so let us talk business." Falcone said as his fellow crime lords looked at him.

"After you, old man." Warren said.

"What are you talking about? I was invited here too." Falcone said as Penguin took a drag of his cigar.

"You wha'? You mean you're not the one here to deal?" Penguin asked.

"Don't look at me." White added.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen! I assure you that this meeting will be worth your time." A voice said from the shadows, a voice Cassandra recognized as belonging to her parents' murderer. All eyes turned towards the source of this voice as an escort of SMG armed masked goons emerged from the shadows, escorting a woman in a white pinstripe business suit with black hair tied in a bun, a pair of readers resting on her nose, and a business ledger tucked under one arm. Behind her emerged an individual in a white dress suit, black dress shirt, and white tie. But what rested on his head was a hideous stark black skull mask.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Penguin asked as the man approached the table in the center between them with his hands behind his back. He then spoke with the voice of the murderer, the mask's teeth moving in perfect synch with his mouth.

"My name is not your concern. For now, you can call me Black Mask."

* * *

 **End Chapter 6**


	7. Black Mask

**12:34 AM  
Sionus Steel Mill**

"Black Mask? Is that supposed to scare us?" Penguin asked but Black Mask didn't seem too perturbed.

"I believe I can answer that question in a moment, Mr. Cobblepot. It's always good to see you again by the way." Black Mask said, causing Penguin to stare at him suspiciously while taking a drag of his cigar.

"We've met before, 'aven't we?" Penguin asked.

"I've met all of you before, many times. We've done business before, several times, and I'm not referring to just you, Mr. Cobblepot. I also refer to you as well, Mr. Falcone." Black Mask said, earning a curious look from the Falcone Mafia Don but no response.

"Mr. White, I don't think that we've ever had the pleasure but I did do a lot of work for your predecessor, Mr. Thorne. I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude for your eliminating him. Although I do feel envious that you got to him first and took over his organization. But, tonight I mean to rectify that and several other issues with the proposal I make to each of you tonight." Black Mask said, none of them noticing as Cassandra Cain maneuvered her way quietly across the rafters to a point almost directly over the table they stood around.

"And what is this proposal you wish to make, Mr. Mask?" Falcone asked, unconsciously stroking his wedding ring. Black Mask merely snapped his fingers. They then heard the sound of a truck starting up followed shortly by the steady beeping of the truck's reverse signaling. From the shadows, one of the box trucks reversed into the light before coming to a stop where only its rear door was visible in the light. Some of Black Mask's men hurried to the back of the truck and opened it, pulling out some of the boxes from the inside.

"Gentlemen, within these boxes are tens of thousands of dollars of imported arms, smuggled into Gotham by me. At this very moment, tens of thousands of dollars more of these weapons are being carried throughout Gotham on an assortment of trucks. At one thirty AM, on the dot, these trucks will suffer mysterious accidents and at the same time, an anonymous tip will be given to the Gotham Police Department, informing them that these trucks are carrying smuggled weapons into the country. They will then determine that the three of you are the ones responsible for smuggling these arms into the country, which will immediately lead to arrest warrants for the three of you, especially since the trucks will be registered in your names and driven by your own men." Black Mask explained, surprising and angering the three criminals.

"Wha's your game then, li'l fish?!" Penguin squawked.

"Yeah, you're pretty stupid to be trying to pull this kind of crap on us, chum." White commented with an angry snarl. Falcone merely scowled with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Gentlemen, you haven't heard my offer yet. I will gladly call off the accidents, but in exchange, you each give me a fifty percent cut of all your takings from your various enterprises, legitimate ones included. Refuse my generous offer, and your permanent address will be Blackgate Prison…or Arkham Asylum for some of us." Black Mask said, looking at White who snarled and pulled a gun, his escorts drawing weapons and aiming them at Black Mask's goons. Falcone, Penguin, and their respective henchmen did the same. Black Mask didn't seem at all surprised or worried by the sight of so many guns pointed at him.

"You think we won't hesitate to drop you and feed you to the fishes, Mask?! If you do, then you're the one who needs to go to Arkham!" White spat.

"Gentlemen I really don't believe you've fully grasped the situation. Didn't I mention earlier that I did work for each of you? I am all the proof that the GCPD will need to condemn each of you to life in prison or maybe even to death. You have three options, gentlemen. You can accept my offer, remain in power at the cost of fifty-percent of your earnings. Option two, refuse my offer and face life in prison. Or option three, kill me and not only face life in prison but immediate execution by my men." Black Mask said, the three gangsters not once moving from their positions, their weapons still trained on Black Mask.

"Oh but Gentlemen, I almost forgot my extra incentive to accept my offer!" Black Mask said, motioning towards someone in the dark. One of his men then proceeded to roll out a service cart with a single briefcase sitting upon it. His assistant then proceeded to open it.

"What is tha'?" Penguin asked, still not taking his umbrella off of Black Mask.

"This is a briefcase filled with eight years' worth of evidence against Rupert Thorne. Or at least it would be if he were still alive, but it makes the most perfect proof of concept for the three matching briefcases I have with evidence against the three of you." Black Mask said as his assistant handed him a few papers from inside the briefcase.

"Take for example these accounting briefs, taken from the office of an unwitting mob accountant I killed eight years ago when he got too smart for his own good and decided to try and turn state's evidence against Mr. Thorne." Black Mask said. Overhead, Cassandra's blood ran hot. Black Mask had unwittingly just confessed to killing her parents.

"I still remember that kill. Killed him and his old lady in an alley after dinner." Black Mask mused slightly to himself. Penguin had a look of curiosity on his face, lowering his umbrella slightly.

"Wai' a minute. Now I think I know 'o you are. You were a hitman. Jobbed out to all of us at one time. Yeah, now I know you. Li'l Roman Sionus, the Steel Mill Prince." Penguin said as Black Mask glared towards him.

"Very perceptive of you Mr. Cobblepot. Yes, you are correct. I was Roman Sionus at one time, until Rupert Thorne ruined my father and drove him out of business. After that I became his pawn, one of his hitmen, taking jobs for each of you. I've killed dozens for the three of you and I've always kept something to remind me of each crime you've had me commit for you, something to link each of you to those crimes. Take these accounts for example. All of them linked back to Mr. Thorne and his underhanded businesses. Businesses that I believe are still running under the direction of Mr. White over here." Black Mask said, earning a growl from White.

"So then gentlemen, my last offer. If I die, the briefcases with the evidence I've collected on each of you goes to the police. Refuse my offer, and those trucks I mentioned will inevitably lead back to each of you. Of course if you accept my offer, then the trucks are called off. Naturally the briefcases stay with me. They're my protection from the three of you." Black Mask explained as the gangsters were left pondering. As they did, one of Black Mask's goons patrolling the area happened to look up and saw a strange shadowy figure crouched on the rafters over where the meeting was taking place.

"Hey! Up there!" the goon yelled, Black Mask and the other mobsters looking up to see Cassandra glaring down at them.

"It seems we have a curious bat!" Black Mask said, pulling a 9 millimeter pistol from inside his jacket and fired at her. His shot missed but struck close enough near her hand to make her flinch and lose her grip, sending her tumbling to the ground, landing through the table, sending the old accounting documents flying.

"Well-well-well. The bat's fallen out of the belfry." Penguin remarked with a murderous grin as the gangsters all pointed their weapons at her.

"That's not Batman." White remarked.

"Clearly not affiliated with him either, at least not officially. Look at the clothes." Falcone added, Cassandra looking around at each of them as she lay helpless on the ground, wracked with pain from her landing. Black Mask quietly took the safety off his pistol and pointed it at her face.

"I've killed dozens of people with this gun. You could say it's my favorite. I've been anxious to add the Batman to its list of victims. But I guess I'll have to settle for a wannabe bat instead." Black Mask said, Cassandra immediately recognizing the pistol as the exact same one that ended her parents' lives and would very likely be taking hers as well. Before anyone could act however, a shadowy figure dropped down, tackling one of White's goons. They all turned to see Batman quickly rise from atop the unconscious goon with a spin, hurling at least three batarangs at them, the batarangs disarming White and two other goons.

"It's the Bat!" "Kill 'em!" But before they could fire, Batman had thrown a fist full of small black pellets to the ground, releasing a thick cloud of smoke. The criminals all opened fire towards the cloud of smoke. Black Mask was starting to back away from the cloud of smoke along with his assistant before seeing Penguin suddenly get snared by the leg and yanked screaming into the air, being left to dangle some ten feet over the ground.

"GET ME DOWN!" Penguin screeched but Batman had already descended on some of Penguin's goons, disarming them and proceeding to beat them down with masterful skill, knocking out nearly half of them in only a few seconds. Black Mask was still backing away from the scene when he was suddenly pounced by Cassandra, knocking him to the floor. His assistant attempted to draw a pistol but it was kicked from her hand by Cassandra before she could aim it. Black Mask's goons attempted to shoot her but couldn't get a clear shot as she kept moving around too quickly, kicking one in the head while spearing one to the ground and then delivering a powerful punch to the head, knocking them both out within seconds. Black Mask was just starting to get back up when Cassandra leapt atop him, punching him across the face before reaching under the mask and pulling it off, revealing Roman Sionus beneath. When she saw his face however, she staggered back in shock and disbelief. She recognized him.

He had been there the night of her parents' death, most assuredly. He had been the one who served them their final meal at the restaurant. He had been their waiter. Sionus was snarling at her as she shook with anger and surprise.

"What's the matter, Batgirl? You like what you see?" He asked, trying to subtly reach for something in his jacket but Cassandra spotted him and leapt towards him but he kicked her back, pulling out a pair of brass knuckles and taking a swing at her, belting her in the stomach, giving him time to rise to his feet.

"Come on little bat! I want to hear you scream!" Sionus yelled, rearing back to swing at her but she ducked down just in time. However, he caught her by the neck with his other hand and held her up. She managed to kick free though, pushing herself backwards although part of her shirt collar got torn as she got loose, the remains of the collar clutched in Sionus's fist. Before either she or Sionus could do anything, they heard the sound of police sirens approaching outside.

"It's the cops!" one of the goons exclaimed. Sionus and Cassandra both looked around and saw most of the goons and Penguin had been taken out or were being taken out by Batman who now turned his attention towards Roman.

"SCRAM!" Sionus yelled, Cassandra attempting to chase after him but was grazed by a bullet fired from Sionus's assistant who had retrieved her gun. Cassandra attempted to continue her pursuit but a cloud of smoke suddenly burst up from around her before feeling a strong arm wrap around her.

"Hold on." She heard Batman say before they were suddenly pulled straight up into the air on Batman's grapple gun. Back inside the hideout, Black Mask and his men had escaped and Penguin had cut himself loose with his umbrella gun. The three gangsters then started running for their own vehicles but as they ran, they saw Sionus's limo had wrapped itself around a light pole in the chaos, a batarang puncturing one of the tires.

"'ey! Get that son-of-a-!" Penguin yelled as he, Falcone, and White and some of their men hurried to the limo, shooting out the windows, finishing off the driver and killing a couple of Sionus's men but Sionus wasn't inside. They did find something else though, three briefcases, each with a tag on the handle with their name on it.

"'ello, 'ello! What have we 'ere!" Penguin said as the gangsters recovered the briefcases, Penguin glancing in his and grinning before tossing his back into the limo.

"You wanna be caught by the 5-0?" White asked, confused but then saw Penguin pull a hand grenade from his coat pocket, chuckling with a grin.

"Gentlemen, shall we 'ave a quick lil' bonfire?" Penguin asked as Falcone and White both tossed their briefcases back into the limo, Penguin pulling the pin on the grenade and tossing it back into the car before they all took off running, escaping the scene just as the limo went up in a fiery explosion, taking all the evidence Sionus had collected on them with it. Sionus witnessed this as he and his assistant emerged from one of the mill's other exits, snarling in fury.

"Damn it! Damn that Batman!" Sionus hissed as he and his assistant hobbled towards one of their vehicles, their cars speeding away from the scene before the cops arrived. Penguin, Falcone, and White all escaped as well so all that remained when the GCPD arrived in force were a few battered and unconscious goons and a burned out limousine. Sionus watched the GCPD roll up on the Steel Mill with a snarl from the back seat of the car they were in as they drove away from the scene.

"So that was the Batman. I won't let him get away with this." Roman hissed as his assistant handed him his skull mask back.

"The trucks are still on schedule sir. The GCPD will still believe the Penguin, Great White Shark, and Carmine Falcone are responsible for arms smuggling." His assistant said as Sionus sneered towards her, causing her to recoil slightly.

"It's not about them anymore, this is about revenge! Revenge against the Batman for ruining my plans!" Sionus hissed, shaking his fist at her. He then froze, staring at his fist which had been clinched since his scuffle with Cassandra. He could feel something in his hand and slowly opened his hand, looking at what he held. There was something more than just a strip of torn black cloth and he knew exactly what it was as he stared at it for a moment.

"Sir?" his assistant asked as Sionus put the item away in his coat pocket before taking his mask from her.

"Order the men to regroup at the old warehouse near Ace Chemicals. Tell them to load up. We're going to make the Bat pay and pay tonight!" Sionus said before putting on his skull mask, his car speeding down the streets of Gotham.

* * *

 **1:01 AM  
Sionus Steel Mill – Annex Rooftop**

Batman and Cassandra both stood on the roof of one of the steel mill's abandoned annex buildings, watching as the police swarmed the scene, rounding up the remaining gangsters. Cassandra was unmasked, watching with tears running down her face. She then felt Batman gently put his arm around her shoulder from behind.

"It's over Cassandra. Roman Sionus is exposed. There's enough evidence there to link him his crimes. Black Mask will face justice for his crimes, I promise you Cassandra. Your parents can rest easily now." Batman said, Cassandra letting out a sniffle and giving a nod. She then looked up at him and threw her arms around him, crying into his padded chest. Eight years of grief and endless hunting for her parents' killer had finally come to an end. Batman gently put his arms around her, remembering when he himself saw justice brought upon his own parents' killer.

"I know what it's like, Cassandra. I know how it feels to lose your parents. I'm like you. But now you can move on with your life. Find a new purpose without the cape and cowl." Batman said as Cassandra continued weeping into his chest for a moment before pulling back slowly. She gave a somber nod, holding up her mask and handing it to him which he took. She smiled up at him with relief and a breath of fresh air.

"Come on, Cassandra. I'll take you home." Batman said as they started walking together towards a nearby alleyway where the Batmobile was parked. The Batmobile was soon in motion, carrying Batman and Cassandra towards Saint Jerome's. Cassandra was smiling out the windows as Gotham became a blur as it rolled past them outside. She could see her parents smiling at her before fading away, their ghosts finally put to rest. She said a silent prayer for them and made the sign of the cross before putting her hand to her chest. But when she did, she paused with a furrowed brow, feeling around for something. She began to pat her front side down with increased urgency. Batman noticed this.

"Something wrong?" Batman asked as Cassandra pulled her clicker from her belt.

" _Saint Jerome medal. Missing."_ She clicked out in Morse code. Batman looked ahead and quickly turned the Batmobile away a mere three blocks away from Saint Jerome's, pulling into an alleyway.

"You lost your medal?" Batman asked, Cassandra nodding quickly in alarm. Batman opened the canopy to the batmobile with his grappler in hand, Cassandra quickly grabbing onto him as he grappled them to the roof of a nearby building. Batman then activated his cowl's advanced detective vision, using a built in zoom feature to zoom in on Saint Jerome's. What he saw made him scowl. Armed men in white clothes and black skull masks were rushing inside the orphanage. Among them was Black Mask and dangling from his hand was Cassandra's Saint Jerome medal.

"It's Black Mask. He has your medal and it's led him to the orphanage." Batman said as Cassandra's eyes widened in fear and alarm.

" _Help them!"_ She signed in a panic.

"They've taken hostages. I don't think I can take them all on at once, not in those tight quarters." Batman said as Cassandra swallowed hard.

" _I can help! Tell me what to do!"_ she signed.

"No! It's too dangerous!" Batman replied.

" _Can't do it alone! Let me help!"_ Cassandra argued.

"Cassandra you'll only get yourself killed. There's only two of us and there's roughly a dozen of them." Batman argued back.

"Then what if we doubled the odds?!" a voice asked from nearby, causing Batman's eyes to widen. He spun around in time to see Nightwing and Robin standing in full costume behind them.

"How did you get through the cave security?!" Batman asked, his comlink coming to life.

" _They had some help from a friend."_ Barbara Gordon replied, Batman scowling in annoyance as Robin approached Cassandra.

"Here, you might need this." He said as he handed her a small black earpiece which she put in her ear.

" _Hello Cassandra. I'm Batgirl…well the original anyway. Don't worry, we're going to help you rescue your friends at the orphanage."_ Barbara said as Batman looked the two over.

"Go home, both of you. Batgirl, get off the channel and get out of my cave!" Batman ordered.

"Come on, Batman, did you really think you could force us to retire and stay that way? You forgot why we all joined up with you in the first place. We know the risks, we know the dangers involved but we'd rather risk death having lived a life protecting others than sit and do nothing. Put yourself in our place. I lost my parents. So did the second Robin, and even this Robin. Cassandra's no different. Batgirl may be the exception but she's no less dedicated. We all know the risks. I know them. Robin knows them. Batgirl knows them. The second Robin knew them. I'm pretty sure Cassandra here knows them. We're no different now than when we first started, and you know what, neither are you." Nightwing said, Robin nodding in agreement.

"You trained us to protect the innocent. Asking us to retire is like asking Joker to be sane for more than five minutes. Like asking Mister Freeze to take a beach vacation without his suit. It's just not in our nature and when something isn't in our nature, we stagnate and rebel at the notion of it." Robin said, pulling back his hood so only his domino mask obscured his identity.

"And every second we waste arguing about this means someone in there could die! So here's how it is. We either throw down right here, right now, or we go in there and save some lives. You know full well that if you go in there alone, people will die. These are orphans, Batman, they're us." Nightwing said as Batman stood in silence, having silently listened to their pleas. Finally, he let out a sigh and pressed a couple of buttons on his utility belt. Almost instantly Nightwing and Robin's mask eye slots flickered with blue light as their mask HUDs activated, turning white to obscure their eyes from outsiders. Right away they knew immediately what had happened and smiled. Batman had reactivated them fully back into the Batclan.

"Batgirl, what can you tell us of the situation?" Batman asked into the radio, the Batclan stepping towards the ledge, looking towards the orphanage.

" _I have the batwing in the air via remote control. I'm getting hi-def thermal scans. I count fifteen men, less than half of them armed with guns. Most of them have melee weapons. They're rounding up all the residents and forcing them into a commons room on the first floor. I've got eyes on what looks to be the ring leader. He's got a black skull mask on."_ Barbara explained.

"His name is Roman Sionus, the son of the late Robert Sionus, owner of Sionus Steel. He goes by the alias of Black Mask, and is directly responsible for over a dozen murders including Cassandra Cain's parents." Batman explained, Robin and Nightwing looking at Cassandra with a look of pity yet understanding.

"Okay, so this is personal for you, huh kid?" Nightwing asked, Cassandra giving a nod. Batman then started tapping some hidden controls on his left gauntlet.

"Batgirl, there's a person inside the Orphanage that might be able to help us. I'm transmitting a phone number to you. Open a secure line to that number." Batman said.

" _Got it…opening secure line now. Secure line open in twenty seconds."_ Barbara replied as Batman approached Cassandra.

"If we're going to save them all, you're going to have to do exactly as I say." Batman said as Cassandra looked up at him with determination in her face. She then gave a nod with an expression showed an iron willed resolve. Batman nodded back and held out his hand, her mask resting in his hand. Cassandra quietly took the mask, pulling it on before turning back towards the front with the rest of the clan, Gotham's Dark Knights, ready to move on a moment's notice.

* * *

 **End Chapter 7**


	8. Rise of the Blackbat Part 1

**1:10 AM  
Saint Jerome's Orphanage**

All of the orphaned girls sat huddled together in their night clothes around the nuns and Father Bishop while five of Black Mask's armed goons stood around them, their guns trained on them. The rest of Sionus's goons were making their way through the orphanage, looking for any stragglers. Black Mask and his assistant were in Father Bishop's office, Black Mask staring at the medal taken off Cassandra curiously. He then headed into the main room across the hall where the hostages were kept, Anne among them.

"So here's how this is going to play out. I'm looking for one of your girls. One with a bat fetish. I know she comes from here and I'm not leaving here until you give her up." Black Mask said as he held up the medal.

"So it's time for confession and 'Father Sionus' is taking your confessions. The first girl who coughs up the Batgirl will be allowed to walk freely out that front door. No tricks, no shots to the back, no beat downs outside in the back alley. But here's the catch. I'm on a bit of a time table and very, very pissed off. So you have exactly thirty seconds to cough her up. If I don't get an answer that I like within thirty seconds, one of my men will take one of you upstairs for a special class on the birds and the bees. Am I abundantly clear on that point?" Sionus asked, cocking his pistol as the girls huddled closer together.

"Your thirty seconds, starts now." Black Mask said as he turned around, straightening his collar and tugging at the cuffs of his suit. At the same time, Anne felt her phone vibrating at her hip. She was huddled near the center and was easily hidden and quietly slipped her phone from the waistband on her skirt, looking at the screen and saw a message appear on the screen.

" _Remain calm."_ The message read. The sender was unknown. She quietly and shakily typed out a message in response.

" _Who r u"_ she asked. After a beat, her phone vibrated again with a picture message…

A picture of the Batsignal.

Upstairs, a pair of goons were still ripping apart the rooms, searching for Cassandra. They reached the end of the hall where Cassandra and Anne's rooms were. They both looked in the rooms simultaneously and were suddenly pulled inside by an unseen force but one of them dropped the crowbar they'd been carrying, the crowbar making a loud clanging sound as it fell to the floor. Black Mask heard the noise and looked around.

"Ah, she's here. Find her!" Black Mask ordered, some more of his unarmed men hurrying up the stairs. As Sionus watched them leave, he turned to his assistant.

"Get the car ready." He ordered, his assistant giving a nod and hurrying towards the door. The Assistant walked out the door but as soon as she reached the bottom step, a black shape dropped down and yanked her up into the air, leaving her dangling upside-down ten feet off the ground from a gargoyle over the building and with a gag over her mouth. Upstairs, the goons found the two unconscious men lying at the end of the hall.

"What the-?!" "They're out cold!" the goons remarked, none of them noticing the hooded Robin and Nightwing sneaking up behind them from two of the rooms. Suddenly the two back most goons were taken down by the Boy Wonders, the thuds of their unconscious forms hitting the floor drawing the attention of the rest of the goons. They turned to see Robin with his bo-staff and Nightwing with his escrima sticks in hand.

"It's good to be back." Robin commented with a grin.

"Back in the black." Nightwing added before they went to work on the goons. Downstairs, Black Mask could hear the fighting going on upstairs and this was making him furious. Black Mask turned towards the huddled mass of hostages, looking them over until he saw Anne, snorting with derision.

"You. Come here." Black Mask said, pointing to Anne. Anne froze and shakily stood up, the armed goons shoving her forward into Black Mask's waiting arms. He spun her around to face the others, putting his gun to her head.

"Batman! I know you're here! Show yourself now or we start taking this place a part, brat-by-brat!" Sionus yelled into the building. Upstairs, the fighting came to an end as the last of Sionus's goons hit the floor, unconscious.

"We're clear." Robin said into the radio.

" _Five left. All armed, all downstairs."_ Barbara replied. Downstairs, Black Mask started pulling Anne away towards the door.

"Time's up, Batman! Boys! Fill 'em u-AUGH!" Sionus groaned as a high pitched whine deafened them all. A black figure suddenly dove through one of the windows into the room, disarming one goon, hurling a batarang at another to disarm him, shoving the first towards a third and then grappling into the fourth, all in under four seconds. Black Mask quickly pulled his hostage away towards the back door.

"Get moving!" Sionus ordered, forcing Anne to fearfully run for the back door. Sionus then pulled a grenade from inside his coat, primed it, and threw it into the middle of the central hallway just as Batman came around the corner. Batman quickly ducked around the corner a mere second before the grenade went off. This gave Black Mask enough time to usher his hostage out the back door. Sionus looked around for an avenue of escape before his eyes settled on the old church building.

"There, move!" Sionus ordered, forcing Anne to move.

"I'm hurrin'!" Anne replied, panting with fear but their escape didn't go unnoticed as Cassandra spotted them from outside, hurrying after them. Inside the church building, Sionus dragged an old dilapidated pew in front of the doors, barring them. He then forced Anne further inside, towards the old altar. The church itself was largely old rotting wood. The old pews still sat there as well, some of them having collapsed or given way over time. There was an old wooden cross mounted on the back wall.

"Okay, spill it sister. I know that the girl in the bat costume came from here. You must know who she is. Tell me and I won't blow your brains out right now." Sionus said as Anne knelt bravely onto the ground in front of him.

"Ye dinna know her like I do. Ye can kill me, but that'll only make her mad. Do you believe in the lord almighty, Mr. Sionus?" Anne asked, shakily but brazenly.

"There is no god, woman. It's all a tightly interwoven work of fiction meant to hold humanity back." Black Mask replied.

"Believe what ye will, Mr. Sionus. But believe me when I say, ye crossed the line eight years ago. Ye hurt her in such an unspeakable way." Anne said as Roman sighed in annoyance.

"Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down? Tell me who she is or this bullet is going through your head." Black Mask said but Anne shakily rose to her feet.

"So be it. I'll never tell ye. Because there's one thing about takin' a nun hostage, Mr. Sionus. We dinna fear death. And may God have mercy upon your soul." Anne said as Sionus scowled but before he could pull the trigger, a figure leapt up from between a pair of old pews near him, batting the gun out of his hands and coming around to strike him in the jaw. Sionus staggered back and saw Cassandra standing between him and Anne, ready to fight him. Black Mask growled and slipped his brass knuckles onto his right hand. Cassandra saw his left hand slip back behind him for something and knew immediately what it was. Anne saw the same thing and quickly dove forward.

"NO!" Anne yelled as she shoved Cassandra out of the way just as Sionus pulled a second pistol and fired, the bullet striking Anne in the chest. Cassandra saw Anne hit the floor with a look of horror. She quickly leapt to one side, avoiding another shot from Black Mask. She quickly dodged a third shot before throwing her homemade grapping hook at him, disorienting him enough to slip around behind him and tackle him from behind, trying to knock the gun from his hand. Sionus took a swing at her with his brass knuckled fist but she dodged and managed to belt him in the stomach, knocking the gun from his hand and forcing him backwards. Suddenly a shot rang out, causing Cassandra to stagger forward, a bullet wound near the edge of her shoulder. The gun had gone off when it landed and hit her from behind.

"Shouldn't have done that, brat! Now you're mine!" Black Mask roared as he pulled a grenade from his coat, a bright orange stripe around it, an incendiary grenade. He pulled the pin and threw it at Cassandra but she leapt up and kicked it back, Sionus quickly dodging the airborne grenade as it flew back towards the altar, landing behind it in the old choir area and exploding, igniting the old wooden structure, the fire spreading across the whole back wall in seconds. Sionus and Cassandra saw the flames spreading but Black Mask turned back towards her, the two enemies charging towards each other. Cassandra took a swing but Black Mask popped her in her wounded shoulder, causing her to stagger, leaving her open for a painful blow to the stomach, followed by another blow across the face, forcing her to the ground.

"So it's come to this, eh?! You should've left well enough alone! It's too dangerous out there for kids in costumes to go messing around! You got too curious for your own good, and you know what happens when the cat gets too curious?!" Black Mask asked as he retrieved his second gun and stormed towards Cassandra, kicking her in the stomach before kneeling down with the gun pointed to her face and putting a hand on the top of her mask.

"Now let's see if I can't figure out who you really are." He said, Cassandra glaring at him defiantly. Before he could pull, a strong arm grabbed the gun hand and pushed it away, causing him to turn in time for a black gloved fist to punch him in the face. Black Mask staggered back to see Batman standing over Cassandra, separating the gun into two pieces, rendering it useless.

"It's over, Sionus! Give up! Now!" Batman ordered but Sionus growled.

"It's not over, Batman! That bitch is mine! You can't stop me!" Black Mask yelled but Batman took a step towards him.

"I already have! All of your men have been rounded up and your hostages have been set free. I've notified the GCPD that the weapons trucks were decoys and false evidence of Penguin, Falcone, and the Great White Shark's crimes!" Batman said as Black Mask continued backing away towards the old burning altar, passing the wounded Anne on the floor.

"I'll rise again, Batman! Black Mask has only just started his criminal empire!" Sionus yelled. From her spot on the ground, Cassandra saw the burning supports on the old cross starting to give way from the fire. She quickly started to get up as Batman continued to back the unarmed Black Mask into a corner.

"No you won't. The GCPD has received a recording of your confessing to having been a mafia hitman and the bullets you've put into your victims will get you Life without parole! It's over, Sionus! You've lost!" Batman said but Black Mask wasn't about to go down so easily and made a dive for his gun. Batman was about to make a move towards him when Cassandra flew past him and proceeded to plow into Sionus, knocking him to the ground but he had already grabbed his gun and brought it up to aim at her. Before he could fire, there was a loud crack followed by the groaning of wood. Black Mask looked up and saw the burning cross come falling forward towards him. Cassandra quickly dove back, leaving only Sionus on the ground.

"NOOO-!" Sionus screamed before the cross came crashing down on his head. Cassandra looked in shock at the sight before she felt Batman put a hand on her shoulder.

"This building's coming down! Help me get her out of here!" Batman exclaimed, throwing a batarang at the front doors before picking up Anne in his arms, the two racing out of the burning church as the fire consumed it, the building starting to collapse. The batarang Batman threw suddenly exploded in a concussive blast, shattering the doors and broken old pew, allowing them to smash through the doors with ease just as the old sanctuary collapsed into a heap of burning rubble. Batman and Cassandra looked back at the collapsed church for a moment, the Batwing flying into a position directly over the church, dumping a fire retardant liquid down onto the fire, the fire extinguishing in seconds before the batwing flew off. They then heard Anne cough, blood around her mouth as she put a hand on Cassandra's masked cheek.

"Cassandra…" she said weakly, Batman setting her down. Cassandra quickly knelt down next to her, removing her mask, tears of worry in her eyes. Anne was smiling at her as she caressed her cheek.

"I'm so proud a-you lass. Your…your ma…'n your da…they'd be proud." Anne said weakly, Cassandra putting her hands on Anne's own, a look of pleading on her face, as if begging her not to go.

"Ye nary said…but I know…why ye nary left us…ye…ye were lookin' after me, weren't ye lass?" Anne asked as Cassandra gave a slow, saddened nod.

"Ye dinna…have to…We looked…after each other. Dinna we lass?" Anne asked, Cassandra opening her mouth, her lips moving to mouth the words "I'm sorry." When she did, Anne's eyes widened in weak surprise and joy.

"I dinna know you had…a voice, Cass…a voice…like an angel." Anne said, confusing Cass who put her hand to her throat, attempting to make a sound but nothing came out.

"It's…so beautiful." Anne said before her head slowly slumped back, breathing her last breath. Cassandra looked at her body, tears in her eyes before bowing her head in grief, Batman standing nearby with a look of pity on his face as police sirens and EMS sirens could be heard approaching in the distance.

…

A few minutes had passed and Batman and Cassandra were stood on the roof of the orphanage as the Police hauled away Sionus's goons and assistant. Roman's assistant had a recording device stuffed in her coat pocket with a tag attached to it addressed to Commissioner Gordon and with a Bat icon in the from space. The Fire Rescue teams were scouring the burnt out rubble of the church when they found Sionus lying under the rubble. One of them checked his pulse and nearly froze in alarm.

"Oh my God! He's alive!" the EMS yelled. From the rooftop, Cassandra looked on, unfazed by the news of his survival.

"He'll be facing life imprisonment if not death row for his crimes, Cassandra. It's over." Batman said but Cassandra didn't react, merely looking at her mask as she held it in her left hand. After a moment she stood up, looking at Batman for a moment before handing him her mask. Batman quietly took it while she reached for her cape, removing it, and handing it to him with both hands.

"Thank you." She signed, before dropping down through the window into her room and quickly changing out of her costume and falling to the floor. One of the EMS workers searching the building soon found her and called for help. Robin and Nightwing both landed on the roof near Batman as he watched the paramedics load Cassandra into an ambulance, assuming she'd been just a victim of the gunmen.

"There she goes." Robin said with a smile. Batman remained quiet as they watched the ambulance drive away.

"She really knew her stuff." Nightwing said as Robin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Reminds me of you-know-who in a way." Robin said, motioning to Batman who watched the ambulance disappear into the distance, a look of contemplation on his face.

* * *

 **10:12 AM  
Wayne Manor – Batcave**

" _Gotham City Police announced this morning that it'd made a break in a series of seven to nine-year-old murder cases with the arrest of Roman Sionus, the heir to the Sionus Steel Company that folded just under ten years ago. Sources say that Sionus was forced into becoming a mafia hitman after his father was forced into bankruptcy and later committed suicide. Thirteen separate murder cases have been attributed to Roman Sionus including the death of Gotham Metropolitan Opera Singer, Regina Cain and her husband Hilton Cain. Additional sources indicate that Sionus was planning on achieving higher criminal status as a major figure within Gotham's criminal elite, but his plans were foiled thanks to interference from the Batman. Roman Sionus was taken to Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital after suffering severe burns and is scheduled to be transferred to Arkham Asylum for psychiatric evaluation pending his release from the hospital. Jack Ryder, channel twelve news."_ Jack Ryder reported before Bruce Wayne shut off the television feed to the Batcave computer.

"So, happy ending…sorta?" Tim asked from behind. Bruce turned around to see Tim, Dick, Alfred, and Barbara, all before him. Bruce then rose from his chair, taking a couple of steps towards them before allowing a smile to appear on his face.

"I believe I owe all of you an apology. You were right. I over reacted. I was doing almost exactly what the Joker wanted me to in a way. I became so focused on preventing another Barbara Gordon or another Jason Todd, that I lost sight of why even I got involved in this business to begin with. I forgot that you all came to me of your own free will, all willing and eager to do everything in your power to protect the innocent. You knew the risks going in and you didn't even hesitate. I thought asking you to put your lives on the line was too much after Barbara, but now I know that it's not. Nothing will stop you from helping the innocent, and for that, I'm sorry." Bruce said as the four looked at each other with a smile.

"Apology accepted Bruce." Dick said as he took a step forward, looking his adopted father in the eyes before smiling and hugging him, patting him on the back a little before stepping back. Bruce smiled back at him for a moment before looking at Barbara.

"Barbara, I'm going to do everything in my power to find a way to repair the damage to your spine. Medical research is going to get quite the stimulus package from Wayne Enterprises." Bruce said but Barbara smiled and shook her head.

"No, Bruce, don't. I'm in this chair for life. No amount of research is going to fix that within my lifetime. Instead, let me continue doing what I can to help. I mean, despite being in one place, I was able to relay valuable information to you all in the field and that got me to thinking. Maybe there's a future in that, a sort of 'Bat-Dispatch' or something like that. I'll pass on the legs, but if you don't mind funneling some money to get me set up as something like maybe, oh I don't know, an oracle or something like that, then that's all I need. Although I won't turn down a chair upgrade either." Barbara said as Dick gave a nod.

"Yeah, Oracle, I like that. Giving calls in the field, alerting GCPD or emergency services when they're needed, keeping us patched in. It's genius." Dick commented as Bruce looked towards Barbara with an approving smile.

"I think something can be arranged. You'd need somewhere to operate from without having to drag over to the batcave all the time." Bruce said as Barbara shrugged.

"There's an old clock tower that got converted from the old tooth and gear to electronic a couple years ago. Plenty of room to roam, and since my apartment building is owned by a subsidiary company of Wayne Enterprises, could be used as a base." Barbara suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Barbara." Bruce said as Dick cleared his throat.

"I just wish I could see it though." Dick said as Tim looked at him confused.

"What are you talking about?" Tim asked.

"Remember that scouting run in Blüdhaven I was on when Barbara got shot a month ago? It was for me to find a headquarters for myself. I feel like it's time to step out on my own. To step out of the Batman's shadow. Bruce and I'd been talking about it for a while before the incident with the Joker and it was pretty much decided by that point. So, once I can get my things packed, I'm off to Blüdhaven." Dick said as Barbara turned her chair towards him but with a sad smile.

"Thanks for sticking around for as long as you did. You didn't need to." Barbara said but Dick shook his head.

"Hey I'd stay forever if you just say the word, Barbara." Dick said as Barbara smiled appreciatively.

"Dick, I'd love that but you need the change more than anything right now. Bruce taught you well. Go make a difference. I'll still be rolling around when you come back. Although I will hurt you if you come visit and don't pay a visit to me." Barbara said, twirling a batarang between her fingers. Dick smirked and nodded.

"Don't need to tell me twice." He said as Tim smirked towards Bruce.

"Well I guess it's back to the good ol' days of just Batman and Robin, huh?" Tim asked, earning a wry grin from Dick.

"Uh, excuse me, but those were my Robin days, Tim. You never had 'good ol' Batman and Robin' days." Dick commented, Bruce giving a slight nod.

"He's right Tim, and sorry as I am to say this, but you probably won't be getting those days either." Bruce said as Tim, Barbara, and Dick exchanged knowing smiles.

"Does this mean I am to make up one of the spare bedrooms, sir?" Alfred asked as Bruce gave a thoughtful glance towards a smoke scented bat-like ski-mask.

"It just might, Alfred."

* * *

 **End Chapter 8**


	9. Rise of the Blackbat Part 2

**April 8th  
12:15 PM  
Old Gotham Cemetery**

Cassandra Cain sat in the front row as Father Bishop eulogized Anne O'Patrick at a small graveside service. All of the girls residing at the orphanage as well as the nuns were there. A few other people had turned out but no one really stood out. Although Anne was Irish, they had a bagpiper skirling out Amazing Grace from the top of a hill nearby. Cassandra shed no tears as Father Bishop closed the service. As the girls started to process to the bus to return to the orphanage, Cassandra quietly stepped forward just as they prepared to close the lid, quietly motioning to wait. Father Bishop allowed it and stepped aside. Anne's body, clad in the full traditional Nun's habit, head anointed with oil, lay peacefully in her casket. Cassandra quietly placed something in her hands, her Saint Jerome medal, before backing away with a quiet nod. She then turned and joined the rest of the orphans back towards the bus.

* * *

 **1:02 PM  
Saint Jerome's – The Lair of Cassandra Cain.**

Cassandra had managed to sneak past the fire rescue crews into the abandoned tunnels and had spent the time since returning to the Orphanage cleaning out her old lair. The mask-less Batgirl suit was hung up in the alcove again, still stained with the blood from her injuries. Finally, the suit was all that remained and she quietly took it down off the line it was hung from, holding it in her hands, staring at the Batman insignia stitched into it, quietly pondering what could have been. She then put the suit in her backpack, intending to dispose of it later.

As she returned to the main orphanage building through the back door, she saw several of the girls were huddling near the front doors which rarely happened. She was just starting to approach when one of the nuns shooed them away. As she got closer to the front, she managed a glimpse of what the girls were ogling at. It was a sleek black limo with a unique hood ornament in the shape of a sterling silver uppercase letter W, sitting outside the building. There was a man in a chauffer's uniform and cap with a short and trimmed black moustache, quietly examining the car for scuffs or dings from the recent trip. She then heard one of the nuns approaching, clearing her throat.

"Sister Cain, Father Bishop would like to see you in his office." The Nun said, Cassandra looking at her curiously for a moment before looking towards the door to the Priest's office. As she approached the door, she could hear Father Bishop talking with someone, someone with a strangely familiar voice. She politely knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Father Bishop called, Cassandra obediently opening the door and stepping inside.

"Ah, here she is. Cassandra Cain, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Bruce Wayne." Father Bishop, introduced, causing Cassandra's eyes to widen. She'd heard the name and was surprised to see the billionaire and playboy himself seated before the priest. Bruce rose from his chair, dressed in his best suit, red tie, with a fourteen karat gold W shaped tie pin, and white silk handkerchief in the top pocket.

"Hello Cassandra. I've heard a lot of good things about you lately. Very good things. I felt that we needed to meet in person." Bruce said as Cassandra motioned to herself in astonishment.

"Oh, uh, Mister Wayne, I should mention that Cassandra has no voice. Some rare birth defect has rendered her a mute." Father Bishop commented but Bruce didn't take his smiling eyes off of her.

"That's alright. I think Cassandra and I will be able to communicate just fine." Bruce said both vocally and in sign language, signaling his cognizance of ASL, causing Cassandra to smile appreciatively.

"Ah, well, I suppose I'll leave the two of you alone then." Father Bishop said, heading for the door. Cassandra proceeded to sit down across from Bruce who sat down, crossing his legs with a warm smile.

"It's good to meet face to face. I understand you lost someone very dear to you recently. Sister O'Patrick. You have my deepest sympathies." Bruce said as Cassandra gave a courteous but sad smile and nod.

" _Thank you."_ She signed.

"I also learned that you recently had some good news too. I understand that the GCPD caught the man responsible for your being…well…here." Bruce said, Cassandra absently rubbing her shoulder where her wound from Black Mask's gun was, nodding with a half-smile of relief.

"I know what it's like to lose your parents. In fact, we're more alike than you think. My parents were killed before my eyes when I was only eight. About the same age you were if I'm not mistaken. It's why I started the Bruce Wayne Foundation, to help kids that were put in the same situation I was. I at least had my butler, Alfred, to look after me and you…well I think you had Sister O'Patrick until recently." Bruce said, Cassandra listening quietly, nodding in agreement while reflecting on the events of the past few days. Bruce then reached down to his side, picking up a briefcase and setting it on the desk, the case opening away from Cassandra.

"By the way, you gave me something recently. I wanted to return it to you." Bruce said as he pulled something from the case and sat back down before holding out his hand, holding something made of black fabric. Cassandra furrowed her brow and took the fabric, unfolding it and freezing at what it was.

Her Batgirl mask.

She sat shaking, wide eyed with disbelief. The last place she'd seen the mask was when she'd given it to…

…the Batman.

She slowly looked up to see that Bruce was smiling at her, coyly. She immediately pointed straight at him in disbelief.

"Yes Cassandra, I am who you think I am. You reminded me of why I became what I am. Why I do what I do. It's by no means easy, and for all intents and purposes, it is a difficult and dangerous lifestyle. But the good done, the wrongs that are righted, the justice that is served, is worth the risk. I wouldn't reveal this to you if I didn't think you could handle it." Bruce explained, Cassandra blinking in astonishment before pointing at herself, mouthing…

" _Me?!"_

"Yes, you. Batgirl has recently been taken out of action. You'll learn the details eventually, but we're all in agreement. We'd like you to become the new Batgirl. We've seen you fight, we've seen your dedication, your sense of justice. Your deductive skill and ability to trace your parents' killer shows me that you've a keen mind. With a little extra training and practice, and with the right equipment, you could become a force for good, to give hope to those without it." Bruce said as Cassandra looked at her mask.

Hope.

That was her voice and it would be through the Batman that her voice would echo across Gotham.

"Oh, one more thing. This wouldn't just be a simple team membership. This would be a full adoption. I would effectively adopt you as my own daughter. I wouldn't expect you to call me father or dad or anything of the sort. I know that only one person in your life was permitted that title and I won't infringe upon that. You'll have a room of your own, a large library of books you can read whenever you want, training and workout facilities, the best equipment money can buy. There's also two older brothers that comes with the deal. They can be a handful but I think you can manage them easily enough. There's Alfred too. Plus, you'd be enrolled at Gotham Academy and receive the best education in the state, but if you prefer to remain enrolled here, I won't deny you that." Bruce explained as Cassandra continued to stare at her mask.

After a moment she stood up, her chest puffed out with pride, and gave a single nod. Bruce smiled back and rose to his feet.

"Very good then Cassandra. Welcome to my world." Bruce said, extending a hand which Cassandra shook with a smile.

* * *

 **10:44 PM  
Arkham Asylum – Medical Ward**

Doctor Carlyle, one of the on-site medical doctors at Arkham, stood at the receiving dock for ambulances as a Department of Corrections Ambulance backed up to the medical building.

"What've we got Aaron?" Carlyle asked as Arkham Security Chief, Aaron Cash, approached with a billfold of transfer papers.

"A real winner, Doc. Wants the Asylum to hang on to him for a few days. Roman Sionus, alias Black Mask. Prime Suspect in over thirteen murder cases and considered an especially dangerous criminal. One of the Batman's apprehensions. He got real injured and had to be taken to Wayne Memorial for a few days. GCPD wants us to keep him for observation. Apparently his injuries might've…done something to him." Cash said as he handed Carlyle the billfold of papers, the Doctor looking through them for a moment with an increasingly grim look.

"Mmm. Severe burns to the head. Was wearing some kind of a rubber mask when he got burned and the heat…grafted the mask to his face. Even Doctor Eliot at T.W.M. deemed it irremovable without severe physical and psychological harm to the patient. I guess I can see why he's known as Black Mask." Carlyle said as the restrained but sedated Roman Sionus was brought into the Asylum Medical Ward on a gurney, clad in the orange jumpsuit of the Asylum already.

"What do you want us to do with him?" Cash asked.

"Med Cell one-nine-eight-five is free. We'll put him there." Carlyle said, Cash giving him a hesitant look in response.

"One-nine-eight-five? You sure? I mean his neighbor is-." "Is in a body cast. Besides, Mr. Sionus is to be restrained at all times." Carlyle said as Sionus was transferred from the gurney to an observation chair and strapped down at the arms, legs, feet, forearms, neck, waist, and midsection. Once he was secured, Carlyle let out a sigh.

"Buy you a drink, Cash?" Carlyle asked.

"No cream or sugar?" Cash asked, Carlyle chuckling and patting him on the back.

"Sure." Carlyle replied as they and the orderlies left the medical room. After a few minutes, Sionus began to stir, letting out a disoriented groan.

"Wha-…where am I? What-…ugh, what happened to me?" he asked, groggily as he looked around. His eyes then settled on the reflective surface of the operating light overhead, the surface showing his reflection.

"Why've I still got this damned mask on? Where am I?!" Sionus yelled angrily into the room.

"Oh, P.U! Didn't anyone ever tell you that black face is offensive these days?!" A voice asked from the shadowy medical cell across from him, chuckling in amusement. All Sionus could make out of the figure in the room was a head of wildly frizzy hair.

"Where am I?! What happened to me?!" Sionus asked, angry at his situation and the lack of explanation.

"Can't you guess? Oh well it's not like you won't be seeing a lot of this place after all! You're in the nut house, the funny farm, the looney bin! Or as we psychopaths like to call it, 'home sweet home.'" The figure said as Romans glared angrily at the figure across from him.

"Arkham! I'm no psychopath! I don't belong here!" Sionus yelled.

"Of course you belong here! I belong here! The doctors belong here! The nurses, the guards, the warden, the muffin man from Drury Lane! They all belong here; they just haven't realized it yet! But still, not being able to remove that mask of yours is going to drive you insane for sure ol' black-face! Seriously though, do not consider singing Mammy anytime soon." The figure giggled as Roman froze in horror. He quickly started trying to pull his head down through the neck restraints, attempting to peel away at his mask but when he got the lip at the neck caught on the restraint he felt pain as he tried to peel and began to realize his predicament.

"No! The fire! My mask! I remember! It must've…my face!" Roman gasped as the figure across the way giggled.

"Oh calm down, sport! You'll learn to love it here! I mean rubber padded rooms, three square meals a day assuming they let you have silverware. Otherwise its sandwiches. The roast beef is especially good too and don't forget to try the veal. Oh and you get injections twice a day to make all those bad memories disappear for a while!" the figure said as Roman rested his head against the headrest, closing his eyes with a snarl as he tried to remember what had transpired to bring him there.

"The fire…I remember…it was that girl. The one working for him." Roman growled softly.

"Oh yes, him. Tall, dark, scary, likes to pretend he's a big flying rodent?" the figure asked as Roman looked towards him.

"Batman. That's him. What do you know about him?" Black Mask asked, the figure merely giggling slightly, his head starting to poke through into the light. At this point Roman could make out his features. A thin pointed face, chalk white skin, candy apple red lips curled into a hideous grin, and green colored hair.

"Oh you could say that I know quite a bit about ol' Batfreak. After all, he's the one who did this to me." The Joker said as the Roman squinted and could finally see his neighbor. The Joker's entire body was entrapped within a large cast made of white plaster. Only his head was free and visible.

"What the hell happened to you?" Roman asked, Joker merely smiling and giving the best shrug he could.

"Oh you could say that I ran into Batman while he was having one bad day." Joker chuckled before his laughter evolved into a raspy but insane cackle.

* * *

 **April 14th  
11:04 PM  
Gotham City Police Headquarters – Rooftop**

Commissioner Jim Gordon stood on the roof, staring up at the Batsignal as it illuminated the night sky. He then heard a metal tapping sound and turned to see Batman standing next to the Bat signal itself.

"Commissioner." Batman said, turning off the light himself.

"Batman. Waylon Jones, Killer Croc, is at it again. Robbed three jewelry stores within the past four hours. Rumor has it he's got the Two-Ton Gang under his thumb and they're helping him with the heists." Gordon said as he presented the Dark Knight with a file folder full of the relevant information which Batman immediately started looking through.

"Don't sweat a hair, Commish'. We've got this." A voice said from nearby. Jim turned to see Robin knelt along near the edge of the roof, smirking confidently towards him.

"Ah, I see you've brought the Boy Wonder along. I'd heard reports of Nightwing being sighted in Blüdhaven so I guess that means your partners have come out of retirement?" Jim asked, turning towards Batman who closed the folder and handed it back to him.

"That and more. Batgirl has taken a new role. We call her Oracle now. She handles information and helps to coordinate us." Batman said as he walked over to join Robin near the edge of the roof.

"Oh so it's just the two of you in the field now?" Jim asked but Batman turned with a smile.

"Not quite." He said as Jim arched a confused eyebrow. Suddenly a figure in black dropped down next to Batman, rising to their feet to reveal a pair of pointed ears, a full face mask that obscured even the eyes, a feminine figure with a yellow bat insignia across the chest and a black cape with yellow edging.

"A new Batgirl?" Jim asked as the batgirl started to remove her mask, the mask being divided into two parts, the upper part starting just below the nose which pulled up and back and a lower part that started just above the nose beneath the upper part that pulled down, revealing a head of messy black hair and a pointed domino mask. The new Batgirl was smirking at the commissioner.

"We don't call her Batgirl. She asked us not to." Robin replied.

"Then what do you call her?" Gordon asked as the trio turned to jump off the roof.

"We call her, Blackbat." Batman replied, Blackbat pulling her mask back over her face before the newly expanded Batclan took to the skies of Gotham.

For Cassandra Cain, she had finally realized her voice…

A voice of peace…

…a voice of hope…

…a voice of justice…

It was the voice…

…of the Blackbat!

* * *

 **To Be Continued…**

Well this has most certainly been a blast to write. I never anticipated I'd write this as quickly as I had. Oh well. Hopefully you enjoyed the story and I look forward to delving once more into the World of the Batman.


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